VSCO Year In Review Explores How Creativity Helped Gen Z Survive–and Even Thrive–in 2020

OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Photo and video editing app VSCO issued its first-ever Year in Review today, exploring and celebrating how its creative community—which is 75% Gen Z—expressed itself during 2020, and how young people around the world turned to creativity as a form of wellness.

“Love” and “Happy” were the top two most-used words in text on VSCO this year, with more than 1 million photos added to the platform every day as new forms of creation took hold.

“We know creativity can thrive and have a profound and positive impact on people’s lives, particularly during difficult times,” says Joel Flory, co-founder and CEO of VSCO. “We saw it firsthand on VSCO throughout the year. As the world turned upside down for many Gen Z, they turned to creativity and self-expression as self-care.”

That assessment is supported by the findings of VSCO’s year-end survey, highlighting how Gen Zers weathered this challenging year, along with 2020’s top youth culture trends. The survey of 1,000 respondents, ages 14 to 25, found that creative expression was a key coping mechanism for Gen Z in 2020:

• More than one-third (34%) of respondents said finding ways to be creative helped them get through (surpassing staying connected to family and friends at 32%)
• 44% said their creative hobbies helped them relieve stress and stay mentally well during a stressful year
• Two-thirds said they spent more time on creative hobbies—including photography, baking, making clothes, tie-dying, and music—compared with prior years; and
• 43% said they developed new creative hobbies.

The survey also looked at how Gen Z used social media during 2020, other ways they brought joy and positivity into their lives, how much money they spent on improving their mental health, favorite fashion and beauty trends, and the activities they most want back in 2021.

The Year in Creativity

Perhaps surprisingly for such a challenging year, “Love” and “Happy” were the top two most-used words in text on VSCO in 2020.  The most popular hashtags covered wellness topics (#bodypositivity, #selflove and #mentalhealth), social justice (#BLM), movies, TV and celebrities, as well as fashion and beauty brands.

Creators employed myriad tools and techniques to tell their stories on VSCO in 2020.  The most popular included spotlighting, erasing faces, psychedelic effects, fisheye lenses, photo grids and writing on images. Their images documented the ordinary—the corners of their room, the beauty of nature, the change of season—as well as the noteworthy moments of 2020—Black Lives Matter, Pride, and voting.

VSCO’s Year in Review spotlights the creators as well as the creative trends of 2020.  For a look at the full report, visit VSCO’s newsroom.

About VSCO: 

VSCO is a mobile app that helps you create beautiful photos and videos right from your phone and offers access to a vibrant global community that inspires creativity and self-expression. As a platform without ads, public likes, comments or follower accounts, VSCO provides a creative and inclusive space where creators can be themselves and share how they see the world without judgement. https://vsco.co/

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SOURCE VSCO