VisualGPS Creative Trends Culture Touching Grass: Gen Z's Search for Agency

I'm Gen Z, and yes, I've been told to touch grass.
And it might have something to do with my screen time, but I know I’m not alone. 77% of Gen Z Americans say their own generation spends more time on their phones than any other, a view shared across every generation, according to a Getty Images' VisualGPS survey. But what started as an internet jab, a way to tell someone they were spending too much time online and should go get some fresh air, has evolved beyond a passive‑aggressive remark. "Touch grass" became both a reminder and a permission slip to reclaim agency: To disconnect from  a non‑stop moving world, step into nature, and choose how to spend our time.¹

Our VisualGPS survey also shows that 80% of Gen Z appreciate brands that recognize the challenges they face. It's a reminder that truly representing a generation means looking beyond trends to the realities shaping their lives.

Gen Z is beyond chasing online followers, they want a sense of belonging to something bigger than themselves.² Yet the visuals American brands choose tell a different story: Gen Z is well represented in popular visuals, but a big slice of those visuals (more than a third) place them alongside technology. What's missing is just as revealing. Nature appears at 25% the rate that technology does in popular Gen Z visuals. Even then, it's more often framed as a backdrop for active lifestyles rather than a place for reflection, connection, or slowing down.

This disconnect may help explain why less than 20% of Gen Z say they feel represented by the brands they interact with, as our VisualGPS survey found.

92% of Gen Z say they wish they could live their life the way they want to (more than any other generation), according to our VisualGPS findings. That search for agency isn't always expressed through grand adventures. Often, it's found in quiet, everyday moments. Choose images or videos where emotion leads the story. And with the right perspective, nature becomes more than a backdrop, transforming simple moments into something memorable. 

Key visual elements:

Individuality: Let them feel like the main character of their own story, center them to emphasize self‑discovery and personal agency (keeping Gen Z's age range of 14‑29 in mind).³

Everyday moments: The moment doesn’t have to be extraordinary, as even the simplest experiences can become the most meaningful memories. Think of swimming with friends, camping, lying in the sun, feeling the breeze, or simply taking a walk.

A touch of whimsy: Choose scenes with a romantic, nostalgic, or playful quality. Genuine laughter, warm light, dreamy compositions, or film‑inspired aesthetics can make even the simplest moments feel more meaningful and emotionally resonant.

Conceptual visuals can help bring abstract ideas to life, while leaving space for personal interpretation. They invite Gen Z to step outside the noise and into a world where nature becomes a place for reflection, imagination, and reconnection.

If you're looking for a more metaphorical approach, look for visuals that feel like an escape. Creative techniques that subtly bend reality, such as double exposure, fisheye lenses, natural framing, CGI, or unexpected perspectives, can help visualize nature while materializing a different dimension. They invite viewers to see beyond the physical, opening up a multitude of possibilities beyond the present moment.

'Touching grass' has become a symbol of Gen Z's search for agency, possibility, and reconnection. Brands that reflect this through authentic, emotionally resonant visuals can create stories that resonate with who they are today and who they hope to become.

Sources
[1] Sam Grinsell
[2] GWI
[3] PEW Research