I (happily) admit it: I am a Millennial. I love going to faraway places and taking pictures of those places and posting them on Instagram (but not Snapchat… yet). I would love to live in a Tiny House but I collect textiles from Latin America and they ALL spark joy. I did in fact give up paper napkins and paper towels for a year, am attempting to save my food with beeswax paper rather than plastic wrap, and own an Instant Pot.
But that’s enough about Millennial ol’ me. This post is about Gen Z, specifically the cusp Gen Z-er’s now at Sol – Jake, Elizabeth, Rashid, and Kathie – and what they have to say about relationships. Why relationships? Because that’s what Sol is all about: our relationship with our clients, and their relationships with the people they serve. (Plus, I’ve never felt as old as I do now when my Gen Z little sister tells me something about celebrities dating or breaking up and I don’t know the meaning of the terms she uses. Turns out this Q&A made me feel old, too – see questions #3 and #4 – but at least I know more now than I did a few days ago. I hope you learn a little something, too.)
Q1: So catfishing. That’s a new-ish thing, right? What is that?
J: It’s when you create a fake dating profile for nefarious purposes. I think it’s from a movie—I don’t think people really say this anymore.
E: I always heard people talk about catfishing but I never actually knew what it was. I’ve never used the word before and I have no idea why it is ‘catfish’… I know it is a term that’s been around for awhile, several years.
R: Catfishing is when someone looks good on the internet but looks terrible in person.
K: The premise of catfishing lies in someone being something other than who they portrayed themselves as. Sometimes they’re just modifying their appearance, but you can have people pretending to be the opposite gender as well. It’s a really interesting phenomenon, where people are using the internet and social media to explore their identities or ideal identities.
Q2: Let’s talk about hanging out. That’s just friendly… or is it?
J: I used to hear people say they were “talking to” so-and-so in high school, then in college it was either “hooking up” or “(sort-of) seeing.” I think hanging out just means hanging out.
E: Hanging out is hanging out. Of course, the deeper meaning lies in the way it is said, the eye contact that is made, body language, etc. It’s a term for me that is friendly but for others maybe it has different meanings.
R: Hanging out is more than friendly only when you’re too scared to call it a date.
K: Hanging out is usually just a friendly gesture for me. From a longevity standpoint, friendships have a greater chance of making it and I like being optimistic about my future, ya’know?
Q3: I can guess what a Lumbersexual is. I’m still into that. Is that still a thing?
J: So I have been referred to by this term; I think it has to do with wearing flannel?
E: I have never heard of this.
R: I have no idea what Lumbersexual is lol.
K: I feel like beard grooming etiquette has to be part of this discussion.
Q4: What are some terms you know I have no idea about?
J: I’ve noticed a rise in nontraditional relationships—certainly the push for LGBTQIA+ rights has had a lot to do with this, but also things like open and polyamorous relationships I think are becoming more common. LDRs (long distance relationships) are too, likely aided by technologies like video chat and teledildonics (which is exactly what it sounds like).
E: I am the wrong person to ask in this area – I know the simple ‘friends with benefits’, ‘no strings attached’, ‘boyfriend/girlfriend’, ‘partner’, but that’s about it.
R: Thirst-trap: when someone posts a sultry picture of themselves showing off their bodies on the internet to gain attention.
K: There’s sadidy. It’s a funny sounding word for pretentious and bougie, which ironically, isn’t any easier to spell than bougie. Is it bougie, boujee (like the Migos song), bourgie, or bourgeoisie; sadity, siditty, or siddity. I don’t know what’s right in this world anymore.
Q5: So you all have been in the Sol agency environment for a bit. We’re big into relationships. Now that you’ve schooled us on all these new relationship terms, what do you think about client/agency relationships?
J: We already video-chat and screen-share with our clients on a pretty regular basis. I guess you could say we’re in open LDRs with several of our clients. I think that as geographic proximity has become less of a limiting factor for human relationships, the same has happened for business relationships.
E: Every client/agency relationship is unique. Any type of relationship takes time and taking time in a fast industry to sit and get to know each other may be difficult to do, but it’s the most important way to start a project. Our relationships with clients are all about direct and clear communication, shared vision, and transparency.
R: It’s a give and take just like any other relationship. The key is communication so we know exactly what the client wants. As the relationship develops, we can even start predicting clients’ needs.
K: The client/agency relationship starts with the project, whatever that is, and can end or continue after the project. Like any relationship, communication and trust are the most important factors.
Thanks everyone for your lessons and insight (aka making me feel old). Now back to my $4 coffee and avocado toast.
