The news: YouTube is facing user backlash after rolling out its AI-powered age-verification system in the US. Many users are furious, per TechRadar, citing concerns about “mass surveillance and data control.” The age-verification AI estimates a user’s age based on viewing patterns, search history, and account age. If it flags a user as under 18, YouTube automatically applies teen safety restrictions like disabling personalized ads, limiting content availability, and turning on digital well-being tools. Our take: Disabling personalized advertising for flagged accounts will disrupt retargeting models and reduce audience reach. Marketers focused on Gen  Zers on YouTube should prepare for reduced targeting precision and to shift toward context-driven campaigns or diversify across other platforms.

Roughly two-thirds (64%) of Gen Z consumers have cut spending in the past year due to higher living costs, according to an April Ipsos survey for Bank of America.Uncertainty is beginning to shape Gen Z’s purchasing decisions. Brands will need to work harder to earn their dollars—possibly by appealing to the generation’s tendency to shop for emotional relief.

Live Nation expects 2025 to be another record year for concertgoing, as global tours from superstars like Oasis, Coldplay, and Beyoncé fuel attendance and ticket sales. While it may seem counterintuitive for concert demand to be so strong even as other areas of discretionary spending, like travel and restaurant meals, falter, it’s clear that a sizable number of consumers view entertainment as a necessary splurge in an era of uncertainty. That could help give the US hospitality industry a much-needed boost as it grapples with declining international demand.

Almost half (49%) of US Gen Zers are much more likely to pay attention to ads that make them laugh or use music they like, per a June report from Edison Research and SiriusXM Media.

The news: We’ve seen TD Bank lean into comedy before to appeal to younger consumers and launch new products. It’s using a similar strategy to educate current and prospective customers about fractional investing services. Can it work? It’s a clever concept that has prompted consumers, who generally like the ad, to question the legality of using snippets of widely recognized logos, per Creative Bloq. The ad’s core strength is how it takes a complex financial concept—fractional investing—and makes it instantly understandable through a simple visual pun. This approach is highly effective in grabbing attention, especially from younger, digitally savvy audiences, who might find traditional financial ads unappealing.

The news: After facing early-career challenges from the Great Recession and then the pandemic, many millennials are now wealthier than previous generations were at the same age. But a significant number remain anxious about their financial future and worry that their wealth could disappear, per The Wall Street Journal. Why this matters for banks: Just as Gen Zers feel they need to earn a whopping $587,800 per year to achieve financial success, millennials may need a reality check from their banking providers so they can productively work toward their financial goals.