They are the generation that every advertising company and media platform wants to have on their side, given their digital native prowess and presence on social media platforms especially. But if we want to learn more about what makes Gen Z tick, and the issues that are more important to them, we go to the source!
One of the most popular go-to influencers who has established herself as “The Voice of Gen Z” is 18 year-old Dai Time, who has been creating content from a young age, and showing others how to build a legit following and digital media ecosystem. She is a multi-hyphenate talk show host, celebrity correspondent, full time college student studying journalism, and social media savant with over 1.5 million followers.
Often referred to as “The Voice of Gen Z” for her honest and irreverent takes on culture, mental health and society, Dai is currently working on the 6th season of her hit Snapchat series, ‘It’s Dai Time‘, created in partnership with the platform’s “523 accelerator program”, which focuses on growing and building diverse voices.
As a young girl, Dai first went viral at 6 years old, with her hit song ‘My TuTu’, which led to her writing and publishing a best selling children’s book, before launching a wildly successful literary tour encouraging thousands of children across the country to read. In 2017, Dai started her own quarterly magazine, titled Dai Time Magazine, aimed at empowering and uplifting young and diverse voices.
As a correspondent, Dai recently hosted Ebony Magazine’s HBCU Yard Fest, covered the red carpet for major events such as the NAACP Image Awards, the highly-anticipated Los Angeles premiere of ‘Wicked‘, and Disney’s ‘Inside Out 2’ World Premiere. Her influence has sprad far and wide, as she was personally invited by President Joe Biden to attend the Black Excellence Brunch at the White House.
But it’s not just the glitz, glam and GRWM content Dai is known for. Her followers regularly check in with her posts because of her vulnerability on issues such as her struggle with acne, her honesty about the pressures of social media and mental health, and why elevating diverse voices is so important to her.
Scroll on below to hear what the social media superstar told us about all the above, as well as the trending Gen Z terms you NEED to know about rn!
What does it mean to be described as “The Voice of Gen Z”?
I’m so honored that my audience has resonated with what I’m doing. Being referred to as “The Voice of Gen Z” means the world to me, to be able to be a voice for and to represent my peers in all spaces. Not only am I shining light onto my generation, but I’m also making a way for them to also make a difference too.
What are some things about Gen Z that are very misunderstood by mainstream media, and other generations?
I feel like we as Gen Z are misunderstood all around when in reality we just like to be creative, expressing ourselves in a variety of ways. We’ve got short attention spans, so anything we touch has to be attention grasping and really stick out to us.
A common misconception is that we don’t care about important matters, which is totally not true. I think we do care about serious topics, but we have different ways to approach them. Sometimes the best way for us to understand serious issues is by presenting them in less harmful ways and once we do understand those issues we’re ready to find some unique ways to conquer them together.
In what areas or topics do you see Gen Z leading the way on, in a way that all of society is benefitting?
Gen Z is leading the way on all things where creativity strikes. We love to challenge societal norms, making way for new ways and new innovations. My generation is single handedly changing the way our society is thinking and acting by introducing a perspective that is relatable, new and quirky.
Can you tell us more about ‘It’s Dai Time’ and how the show came about?
It’s always been my dream to have my own show, so when I partnered with Snapchat in 2022, I knew exactly what to do; make a show catered to my peers and our many different interests. My show, ‘It’s Dai Time’, features all the hottest, trendiest conversation topics & news pertaining to my generation. I also like to use my show as a platform to bring awareness to serious matters within my generation as well, like online body-shaming, cyber-bullying and other important issues that are faced by my peers.
You are working on the 6th season, which we are excited to hear! What can viewers expect from this season?
My show has acquired many different forms over the years. My favorite, and it’s most recent form takes the shape of a quickly paced, news drop of trending events in my generation and I plan to continue sharing the news in this form. My show will always be the best place to get your daily dose of what’s catching the attention of Gen Z.
Gen Z faces a lot of pressure from social media impact more than any other age group. How do you navigate this world and still stay sane?
Yeah, I definitely agree that my generation faces a lot of pressure from social media; I know this from my own personal experience being an active user of social media outside of my own content production, and it’s also a key reason why I take pride in showing my true authentic self online for my peers to see. I found that within myself, it was super helpful to make sure I was taking enough time off of social media, to limit the chances of comparing myself to unrealistic expectations set by other content creators and social media users.
I know a lot of my peers can relate to this, because everyday it gets harder to distinguish what our reality is supposed to look like when we have social media to show us what the “expectation” is.
For older folks who don’t understand how creating content on social media can be a career, or why it is an important communication vehicle, what would you say to educate them?
I feel like social media is a one stop shop to connect with many different people. It’s quick, attention grasping and different from any other form of communication. I also think what makes social media so special is the power to connect with more than one demographic. For me, I’m able to share positivity to my Gen Z peers from all over the world, and also other generations shedding light to what it’s really like to live in my generation in today’s time.
You are also passionate about amplifying diverse voices on your show and using all your platforms for this cause. Why is this important to you?
I am super passionate about creating a space for my peers because there was not always a space for us to showcase our creativity to the rest of the world. This is something I’ve always been passionate about. When I was publishing my magazine, one thing I loved to do was speak to young people who were doing amazing things in their communities and in the world.
Authenticity is also a huge part of balancing a social media career. What are some key areas you have focused on authenticity with your audience? How vulnerable are you willing to be in your content?
For me, aside from sharing inspiration and positivity, authenticity is a big part of my image online because I know that there are a lot of other creatives who don’t show that side. This lack of transparency creates such a false reality for my peers, and I know this because I was a victim to that false reality when I experienced acne last year. This was especially a dark time for me because of the hate I was getting online but also because I felt so alone.
Even though acne is a common experience for many people my age, there was no one online I could relate to, that shared their experience with me. So when I began my journey to combat my acne, I made it a priority to open up to my own platform about it and show my peers that were going through similar struggles that we were fighting together.
Having over a million engaged followers on social media is a huge platform! What are your fave types of content to create, vs the content that gets the most engagement on your accounts?
Honestly, social media is one of my happy places when I don’t allow myself to overthink about what I’m displaying to my supporters. My favorite type of content to post is the content where I’m just being myself, and walking my supporters through what it’s like to just live life as a Gen Z’er. I love sharing the fancy LA event experiences, but I also love the intimate content moments where I’m just chatting to connect with my peers.
For anyone new to the Dai Time universe, what do you hope they are drawn to, and what do you hope they stick around for?
For anyone new to the Dai Time universe, I hope you guys enjoy seeing a peak inside of the mind of an average Gen Z girl, and I hope you stick around to see the change I make with our generation, and hopefully I inspire you to get out and do the same.
As a parting message of advice to non-Gen Z folks so they can keep up to date, what trends are OUT, and which are IN right now?
One of my favorite parts about being a Gen Z’er are the crazy trends we create to go viral, and the fact that those trends are always evolving. As of now for the current trends; out is longform content (because our attention spans are too short lol.) and of course seasonal themed gift baskets are in. We’ve gone from the spooky “boo” baskets, and now because we’re entering the colder months the theme is “brrr” baskets.
Stay in the know with all things Gen Z by following Dai Time on TikTok and Instagram, subscribe to her Youtube Channel, and watch all episodes of ‘It’s Dai Time’ on Snapchat.
