As we approach the middle of 2024, a plethora of trending topics related to the lifestyles of young people continues to emerge.
Among these diverse topics, there are new personality labels that have burst onto the scene, such as "intense people" and "mellow people" (referring to individuals who express emotions intensely and those who are indifferent to everything, respectively), as well as topics like "heeding advice," "extreme makeovers," and "concerts" that have carried over from 2023 and remain highly popular to this day.
Behind the various hot lifestyle topics, there is not only a reflection of young people's response to real-life pressures but also a symbol of their search for a spiritual outlet.
What are the spiritual needs of young people behind these trending topics? What kind of content can satisfy their spiritual needs?
In 2024, what spiritual needs do young people have?
Looking at the popular topics of this year, "instant gratification" has become a spiritual necessity for young people.
So-called instant gratification refers to enjoying Gap time. It means using small, spontaneous, and pure moments of the present to counteract the repetition and anxiety of life, thereby satisfying their emotional value and even reshaping their self.
Advertisement
The pursuit of spontaneous moments is first reflected in the popularity of performances and travel.
The ongoing popularity of concerts in the first half of the year, Gansu Tianshui spicy hot pot, self-driving tours during May Day/weekends, and the sudden surge in popularity of Laos' scenery due to the filming abroad of the variety show "Hahahahaha 4," all represent the young people's pursuit of unique and vivid experiences.In terms of social interaction, young people are tirelessly proactive in "labeling" themselves, thereby showcasing and dissecting their inner world, and longing for a deeper understanding from others. From the "dense people" and "light people" similar to Type I and Type E personalities, to the term "stealth feeling" which describes someone feeling shy and uncomfortable in certain situations, and then to the humorous self-deprecation of "if you dare to provoke me, you are provoking cotton," the literature of cowardice... Young people are increasingly willing to reveal their characteristics and bridge the gap with like-minded individuals.
In the realms of study and work, young people are gradually demystifying the filtered success stories, no longer fixated on perfect outcomes, but instead turning to enjoy every moment they possess.
"Listening to advice" and "explosive transformation" are trends that have been popular since 2023. Initially concentrated in the field of beauty and fashion, they later extended to living spaces, cultural tourism, and more, showcasing the personality and creativity of young people while allowing them to gain a sense of achievement in the process of transformation. "Read but replying randomly," "the world is a huge makeshift stage," "the 20-minute park effect," and the connection with the current workplace all imply that people are trying to let go of burdens and boldly "go crazy."
It can be said that changes in the broader environment have shifted everyone's focus from delayed gratification to immediate enjoyment, from looking to the future to focusing on the present, and from aspiring for a Gap Year to valuing Gap time.
When young people value Gap time, what kind of content do they prefer?
When young people focus on immediate enjoyment, they also pay more attention to spiritual pleasure in consumption, willing to increase spending on entertainment, travel, and the like.
According to the GroupM Intelligence "2024 Consumer and Media Trends Report," more than 70% of surveyed young people agree that "when spending money, one's own happiness is the most important," and over half agree with the consumption philosophy that "one should enjoy the present and not worry about the future."
The emphasis young people place on "the present" is also reflected in their future consumption intentions. More than a quarter are willing to increase spending on entertainment and travel, followed by technology and dining.That is to say, in addition to taking care of their material needs by eating and drinking well, young people also want to make their lives more convenient, relaxed, and joyful, and to be nourished and satisfied on a spiritual level. Especially in the realm of entertainment, young people prefer content that is joyful and can provide unique experiences.
Taking variety shows as an example, looking at the popular topic #Variety Show Highlights# from various platforms, the high-frequency emotional words related to the content are mostly centered around "burst into laughter," "funny," "treasure," and "hahahahaha."
The variety show "Hahaha 4," which concluded in early June this year (with main guests including Deng Chao, Chen He, Lu Han, etc.), secured the top spot on the Yunhe All-Network Variety Show Screen Domination List for April and May, with a Douban rating of 7.6 points, leading previous seasons. This shows how much joy this long-running variety show brings to young people.
A Xiaohongshu user expressed their "mixed feelings" after "Hahaha 4" concluded, saying, "But seeing the brothers grow and play happily with friends, all the complex emotions are reduced to simple joy." Additionally, a Douban user gave a high praise: "A domestic variety show that can make people laugh out loud deserves five stars."
As one of the spiritual consumer goods, if a variety show can meet the spiritual needs of young people, it will not only trigger discussions and sharing on different platforms but also promote the acquisition of new platform members.
According to the QuestMobile "2023 Drama, Variety Show, and Film Market Insight Report," the user portrait of Tencent Variety Show's top 2023 play, "Set Off Now," is close to the platform's new user portrait, and the show has a stronger influence on female users.
In the future, what kind of content will meet the needs of young people? As "Gap time" becomes a spiritual necessity for young people, the layout and innovation of variety shows also require more substantial content strategies to feed the audience's emotions more accurately.
As Han Zhijie, Vice President of Tencent Online Video, shared at the 2024 Tencent Variety Show New Appreciation Conference: "Gap time may seem brief, but it can provide a continuous supply of energy for life, affecting everyone's emotions and daily life. Variety shows can reflect the present and have a very flexible creative cycle, which is just right to provide Gap time for users."Therefore, Tencent Video also starts from the spiritual needs of young people, dividing variety shows into three major sections: "Haha Time," "Meet Time," and "Show Time." It hopes to provide young users with three high emotional values through rich content, creating accessible gap time.
Specifically, looking at the three major sections and key programs, "DT Business Observation" summarized three key points.
1. Creating a comedy universe to make young people laugh off their "work taste" and meet the emotional needs of young people for "instant pleasure."
According to the sharing of Bai Hongyu, the person in charge of the Seven Ounces Studio of Tencent Video, "In 2023, the number of plays of the talk show category on Tencent Video exceeded 1.54 billion, and this was under the condition that there was no program launched and updated last year." "After the information about the re-production of the talk show program was released in April this year, the term 'talk show is back' directly rushed to the top of the hot search."
Considering the increasing number of online talk show podcasts, the increasing popularity, and the rapid sale of tickets for well-known offline talk show actors' special performances, young people indeed have a long-anticipated expectation for comedy, mainly talk shows.
To meet the expectations of young people, Tencent Video's talk show program "Talk Show and His Friends" this year will also reunite artists who are most knowledgeable about talk shows, such as Da Zhangwei, Zhang Yuqi, Lu Yu, Dou Wentao, as well as new and old players who are most skilled at talking shows. Through a new competition system, everyone is ready to "laugh."
It is worth mentioning that Tencent Video's understanding and experience of comedy are not limited to talk shows—in fact, Tencent Video launched the 2024 Goose Factory Comedy Alliance "Laughter" in the first half of the year, striving to monopolize the laughter of young people throughout the year.
In addition to "Talk Show and His Friends," there are at least seven programs on the way to broadcasting this year. Including "Comedy Night," "Comedy Like Love," "Extreme Story King," "Dare to Think Team," "Single Row Comedy Alliance," "Dou Xiao Society 3," and "Comedy Conference," etc.
Among them, the newly added "Comedy Like Love" at this conference will be led by guests such as Shen Teng, Ma Li, Chang Yuan, and Allen. By re-creating the love segments of the classic big IP of Happy Twist, the new generation of national comedy CP will be selected."Extreme Storytelling King" is set to leverage Tencent's hit TV drama IPs, allowing comedians to take the lead in refreshing dramas and tell genuine, tragic stories in contrasting environments.
Young people might witness "a Huang Bo-like Fan Xian narrating the story of being harshly educated by the A-share market," experiencing extreme satisfaction in the ultimate identity displacement; then, in the extreme contrast, they will find great resonance.
2. Alleviating anxiety by going to the wilderness, responding to young people's needs for "relaxation" and "bridging the isothermal layer"
Beyond comedy, Tencent Video will continue to focus on variety shows related to social interaction. The current summer hit "Fifty Kilometers of Peach Blossom Valley 4" is a "social observation variety show" that has stood out in recent years and continues to have memorable scenes.
The light-hearted, mutually teasing, yet caring and warm friendship among the 650 quartet (comprised of Li Xueqin, Wang Sulong, Xu Zhisheng, and Li Jiaqi) has always been a highlight of the "Fifty Kilometers of Peach Blossom Valley" series.
It may please many viewers that the temporarily disbanded "650 Radio" family in "Fifty Kilometers of Peach Blossom Valley 4" will welcome a dedicated group variety show "Team Building Can't Stop," continuing to delve into how young people with different personalities heal each other. The hit variety show of 2023, "Let's Go Now," will also welcome its second season this year, exploring more spiritual wildernesses with young people.
Such healing will not only occur between people but also between people and nature. Tencent Video will launch "Healing Planet," allowing guests and young people to be healed by nature during secret journey travels, while also caring for the environment—the program content will not only involve appeals for environmental protection, protection of rare wild animals and plants, but also hold a同名 exhibition offline, creating an IP through online and offline collaboration.
3. Adhering to "live" and "authenticity," responding to young people's needs to "focus on the process"
From the continued popularity of concerts and music festivals, the importance of "being present" for young people has only increased.Tencent Video will also cater to the audience's needs by creating more programs related to live demonstrations or tests of strength, including "Actors, Please Take Your Places 3," "Battle to the Pinnacle 3," "Heart-Racing Offer 6," and "Rush! Ten Thousand People Live," among others. These programs aim to inspire young people through an extreme and professional competitive process, satisfying their psychological "sense of presence."
"Actors, Please Take Your Places 3" will further tilt the discourse power towards the audience. In the past, issuing an S card to an actor meant the director's praise for their acting skills. In the new season, the S card will be upgraded to a People's S card, and the audience will have the power of veto, allowing them to participate in real-time in the process of "acting cultivation," further witnessing the highlights of the domestic entertainment actors honing their acting skills.
It is reported that "Rush! Ten Thousand People Live," which features live music performances, is currently being recorded in Changsha. After visiting the site, Han Zhijie, Vice President of Tencent Online Video, expressed his feelings, "The atmosphere on site is very exciting, the vibe is very high, and you can feel the youthful energy." He added, "People are very infectious during moments of self-realization."
Leave a Comment