Tiny Saddles and Shade Stix

#5to9, all day every day

Good morning! Did you know that boxing is one of Gen Z’s favorite sports and that youth rodeo is trending across rural Kansas, with impressive growth stats to back it up? Today we’re talking about that and more (not all sports talk, I promise)…

TIKTOK REALLY IS BECOMING GEN Z’S GOOGLE, AND MORE ON HOW GEN Z GETS ITS NEWS, morningconsult
In February, 14% of Gen Z adults reported using TikTok to start researching a major news event, significantly higher than the share of all adults (2%) saying the same. A similarly high percentage of Gen Z adults (13%) said they start with YouTube — but news on YouTube doesn’t skew toward Gen Zers as heavily as news on TikTok does.

THE MORNING ROUTINES ON TIKTOK CAN BE INSPIRING – AND EXHAUSTING, wapo
We talked last week about how the personal development/self-improvement corner of TikTok is so outrageous, and here’s another example of that: One of the most common morning routines is called the #5to9, a reference to the hours between 5 and 9 a.m. when the highly motivated can put in four hours of chores and self care before starting the work day.

SOME EVERYDAY INVESTORS STILL BET CRYPTO CAN MAKE THEM RICH, wsj
The 2022 crypto crash wiped out roughly $1 trillion in value and scared off many investors. But not all of them — especially the young ones. Sage Giddens and Billy Curtis, both 22, are friends and co-workers at a Bentonville, Ark., gym. Both say they buy crypto because other opportunities for building wealth feel fruitless or out of reach. Mr. Giddens said he tries to set aside 25% of each paycheck to invest, which he has been doing for about a year. 

WITH FIRST-EVER BEAUTY-COLLEGE COLLAB, HALLY IS TARGETING STUDENTS, glossy
Hally, a venture-backed brand that has positioned itself as Gen Z’s at-home hair-color go-to, tapped 100 Baylor University students for their latest launch. The ambassadors — who have social followings ranging from 1,000-200,000 — were tasked with simultaneously posting about the brand’s $10 Shade Stix, which they’re launching in yellow and green, Baylor school colors. Hally has 26 college sports partnerships coming up in the next 12-18 months.

HOW TINY SADDLES AND YOUTH RODEO MIGHT HELP KEEP ANOTHER GENERATION IN RURAL KANSAS, kcur
A very wholesome read about a very real trend: The number of fifth-grade to 12th-grade kids competing in the Kansas High School and Junior High School Rodeo Association has jumped more than 15% in the past few years.

OVERTIME LAUNCHES BOXING VERTICAL CITING YOUTH DEMAND, adweek
Boxing is the fourth-most popular sport amongst Gen Z, and “the sport has taken on newfound relevance to younger audiences due to the involvement of celebrities like Logan Paul, the YouTube creator turned professional boxer, and Ryan Garcia, a 24-year-old boxer and influencer with 9 million followers on Instagram.”

One last thought:

ADAM FAZE @adamfaze

TIKTOK’S NOT SOCIAL MEDIA IT’S TELEVISION!

P.S. Mentioned this yesterday, but I’m trying something a little different with the intro this week, as you may have noticed. If you miss the quick links, lmk! (I also had a typo in this CTA in yesterday’s issue, as you may have noticed, too…ugh, sorry)