In the next several years, millions of people born in 1998 or later will reach adulthood. Commonly known as Generation Z, this cohort of nearly 70 million young Americans will comprise slightly more than 20 percent of the U.S. population.

Like the generations before them, members of Gen Z have had unique life experiences that have shaped their perceptions, values and concerns. Perhaps one of the biggest influences on this generation is the proliferation of social media.

Gen Z is widely considered to be the first generation to grow up in a world where social media use is the norm, whereas millennials are considered to be the first generation to grow up with computers in their homes. While millennials are regarded as more digitally savvy than Generation X and Baby Boomers, when they grew up social media was still relatively new.

Now, as Gen Z is on the cusp of having increased spending power, many brands are working hard to figure out how they can capture their attention and connect with them emotionally. To do this, marketers need to understand them and their behavior. They also must know how Gen Z is engaging online and who is influencing them.

Fortunately, researchers have been busy. They’ve found the influencers of Gen Z often are self-made celebrities, many of whom they’ve likely discovered on YouTube or Instagram. More traditional music and entertainment celebrities are still influencers, but because of Gen Z’s entrepreneurial bent and the hours they spend online, they have a wider group of stars and rising stars to follow.

Another study by Goldman Sachs found that, among other things, Gen Z is much more cautious on social media when compared to millennials. Today’s teens are all too aware of the importance of managing their online reputations and deep digital footprints. They often spend hours creating and curating content that enhances their image. If an online image or post fails to garner the right reaction from their friends, these teens are quick to remove it.

Sean Martin, growth marketing manager with Directive Consulting, explained that members of Gen Z share significant information about themselves via social media platforms, but they also are concerned about privacy and dislike having brands scrape their social profiles for personal data.

“They find it jarring to receive direct messages or emails from brands with whom they have not engaged,” said Martin. “Brands need to motivate younger people to proactively engage with them. To do this, marketers should continue to consider creating fun, snappy content.”

A quick Internet search will turn up many examples of brands that have done this well. For instance, brands like Taco Bell, Gatorade and Starbucks have created Snapchat Geofilters, overlays that communicate the “where and when” of a Snap message, that have been massively successful. According to an article published by DigiDay, Gatorade’s Super Bowl 2016 Snapchat filter received 160 million impressions. With numbers like this, it is no wonder that brands are investing in these types of campaigns.

“This is a generation who is discerning about advertising,” added Martin. “Gen Z picks up on inauthentic attempts from a mile away and shuts them down, but Geofilters are a subtle, sneaky and effective way of advertising to them.”

According Angela Fernandez, a vice president with Ketchum, Gen Z’s attention span is about eight seconds, whereas millennials have a 12-second attention span. Snapchat capitalizes on this and it may be one reason it’s so popular with this group.

However, others disagree with claims that teens like Snapchat because it feels more spontaneous and authentic than other forms of social media. They assert that teens feel comfortable sharing on Snapchat because they have more control over how long photos or videos are visible to recipients.

Regardless of Gen Z’s motivations, Snapchat is incredibly popular and marketers are looking for ways to have continuous engagement with them on the platform. In the coming years, it will be interesting to see how this generation’s behavior online will evolve with technological advancements and how marketers will respond with the development of more sophisticated campaigns.

For further reading about Generation Z, please check out these articles.

Goldman Sachs is Over Millennials

Generation Z is Changing the Face of Marketing

New Kids on the Block