Theory: a reasonable method of guessing someone’s age would probably be to ask them how seriously they take Great Barrier Reef obituaries[1]. I’m talking about climate change of course, for there can be few more prominent topics in marketing in 2020. Except maybe mental health? Well, sure, but for Generation Z, the two topics are so intrinsically linked that they’re essentially the same conversation.

This is an audience concern that will only grow in the coming years[2], and maybe all they’re looking for is hope. The Washington Post’s investigation, titled ‘The environmental burden of Generation Z’, is our Read of the Week.

Is it harder than ever to go viral in 2020? Unless you’re paying for your reach, much of successful social networking is at the mercy of the respective platform’s algorithm. The New York Times pondered the peculiarity of people trying to get a break, but being reliant on TikTok or Instagram or whatever surfacing their content.

I know it’s been a while since the Really Important Sports Game, but Sam Hoffman had some interesting insights on why certain brands’ TikTok content worked better than others.

Elsewhere, CNET describe the increasing importance of online anonymity to young people – and the lengths they’ll go to in order to combat tracking. Amazon’s VP of Alexa Experience and Devices, Toni Reid, gave a rare interview on the voice assistant’s future to Protocol. And we end with some comfort food/dessert/a palate cleanser[3] – Buzzfeed News gives us the inside track on the amazing popularity of Bon Appétit.

READ OF THE WEEK: The environmental burden of Generation Z
[Washington Post]

Comedy written for the machines
[New York Times]

How TikTok won the Super Bowl
[Sam Hoffman – LinkedIn]

Teens have figured out how to mess with Instagram’s tracking algorithm
[CNET]

Amazon’s Toni Reid on teaching Alexa every language
[Protocol]

How Bon Appétit accidentally made YouTube’s most beloved stars
[Buzzfeed News]

[1] I have seen the reef in person. It is distressingly bleached to the point of being monochrome.
[2] Unless we all die lol
[3] Delete whichever food puns you like. Maybe all of them.