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In this issue, we share 5 findings with 1 thread: the gap between what people expect and what they actually do.
- SXSW: The age of AI experimentation is over. Here’s what’s replacing it.
- TikTok: 79% of Gen Z miss the old platform. YouTube is quietly winning.
- Hispanic voters in Texas: Inflation beats immigration as the #1 issue in 2026.
- Investors & taxes: 80% expect taxes to rise. Only 31% are doing anything about it.
What Gen Z Misses About Old TikTok
TikTok still has Gen Z’s attention. But is it the platform they fell in love with? That’s a different story.
- 79% of Gen Z TikTok users miss the early days: Nostalgia for a platform that only became a cultural juggernaut around 2020.
- Trust is eroding fast: 60% trust TikTok less than they used to. 74% are more cautious about what they engage with. 53% say it feels more censored.
- They’re still showing up, but barely: 31% say they scroll out of habit, 72% say the content feels staged or performative.
- YouTube is winning: 66% of Gen Z uses YouTube daily – one point higher than TikTok – and 44% plan to use it more next year.
Takeaway: For brands, there’s an opportunity to be the thing Gen Z actually came for: authentic and worth their time rather than just chase the algorithm. Gen Z is still showing up to TikTok every day, but they’re showing up skeptical, exhausted, and nostalgic for a version of the platform that’s already gone.
See What Gen Z Actually Thinks
4 Things We Learned at SXSW
Our CEO John Gerzema joined Verily and MedCity News to explore the future of AI and healthcare. Here are some of the takeaways from that panel and other AI insights…
- America’s health data is too fragmented for AI to fix alone: 47% of Americans say their information is too spread out, and only 1 in 5 share wearable data with their doctor, despite 87% checking it weekly.
- GEO is the new SEO: AI-powered search is driving a ~60% zero-click rate on informational queries. If your content isn’t structured as an authoritative answer that AI systems cite, it’s effectively invisible.
- Authenticity is now a competitive advantage: Brands featuring real human experts and genuine emotion are seeing engagement 2.4x higher than those using anonymous or AI-generated voices. Content saturation has made authenticity the scarcest resource in marketing.
- The smartest leaders are asking different questions: Not “how do we use AI tools?” but “what kind of organization do we need to be for AI agents to work here?” The ones who answer that now won’t be answering it under pressure later.
What Matters to Hispanic Voters in Texas?
With the 2026 midterms approaching, Hispanic voters in Texas have a clear message for candidates: start with the cost of living.
- Inflation leads: 75% of Hispanic voters in Texas say inflation and the cost of living are a top issue in 2026.
- Health and jobs follow: 69% cite healthcare access and costs. 67% say jobs and wages matter most.
- Housing and immigration round out the top five: 65% are focused on housing affordability. Immigration enforcement tactics (54%) and border security (50%) also feature – but trail the economic concerns.
Takeaway: The conventional wisdom about Hispanic voters and immigration as a single defining issue doesn’t hold up here. Economic security (prices, jobs, housing, healthcare) dominates the agenda. Candidates and strategists who lead with pocketbook issues will find a more receptive audience than those who lead with the border.
Investors Expect Taxes to Rise – But Most Aren’t Preparing
According to a new Nationwide study, 4 in 5 investors expect taxes to go up. Fewer than 1 in 3 are doing anything about it.
- The anxiety-action gap: 80% of investors expect taxes to rise, but only 31% are adjusting their financial plan to reflect that.
- Tax season tunnel vision: More than a third (34%) say they mostly think about taxes during tax season. Only one in four engages in year-round tax planning.
- Flying blind on portfolio composition: Just 44% of investors hold a mix of taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free assets. A meaningful share (13%) can’t describe their portfolio’s tax makeup at all.
Takeaway: The gap between awareness and action is where financial risk quietly compounds. Advisors who make tax planning a year-round conversation – not a once-a-year filing exercise – will stand out in 2026.
