Let’s not patronise Gen Z students

When we think of Generation Z (Gen Z) students – the so-called TikTok generation – we imagine them as having irreparably short attention spans shaped by social media. After all, they’re used to multitasking across screens and avid consumers of short-form videos. As educators, this perception leads us to believe that keeping students focused requires flashy, visually dense teaching materials. 

This assumption prompted a 2023 research project that tested AI-generated PowerPoint presentations with undergraduate Gen Z students. We expected that students would crave constant visual stimulation. Yet, our focus-group discussions revealed a far more nuanced reality: Gen Z students don’t want to be patronised; they want informative and well-designed content. Here are three lessons they taught us.

Prioritise clarity over decoration

Students told us they preferred substance and structure over decorative visuals. Gen Z students, it turns out, are highly selective curators of their digital experience and apply the same critical eye to academic content. Our focus group participants urged instructors to concentrate on the written content of their presentation slides. For them, effectiveness meant succinct bullet points that articulated key concepts, rather than walls of text that clouded meaning. Any visuals used must directly align with and reinforce these concepts, not serve as generic or distracting background fillers. They also told us not to simply read what is on the slides, and emphasised a desire for clear materials that allow them to grasp the intended message quickly and easily. This showed us that we don’t need to mimic more “chaotic” styles of social media content, but rather emulate intentional, value-driven content.

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Use visual cues strategically

Our focus group participants appreciated effective visuals and highlighted how thoughtful design can guide understanding. They noted text positioning, colour use and the inclusion of simple symbols as powerful tools. Several students pointed out that introducing a definition slide with a question such as “What is quality management?” primed their brains for the information to follow. Such anticipatory cues help students create mental categories, making complex material feel more manageable. This mirrors effective social media content, such as “how-to” guides, lists or “x versus y” comparisons. The key is to use visual language for cognitive framing, rather than for entertainment.

Engaging Gen Z students is less about competing with social media and more about learning from its principles of clarity, intentionality and value. To put this into practice, start by auditing one or two core lectures. Trim each slide to a single idea, remove redundant text and generic stock images, and replace them with clear headings, concise bullet points and one or two visuals that genuinely support the concept. Then, map each slide to a specific learning objective and ask, “Does this help students understand or remember something important?” If the answer is no, cut it. Finally, signal transitions explicitly through headings, icons or brief verbal cues so that students know when they are moving from explanation to example, or from theory to application. 

Trust students’ mode-switching abilities

Perhaps our most significant mindset change was prompted by students’ self-awareness about their engagement. One student said “…even when we use social media for learning, we are well aware that learning in the classroom is a completely different mode.” Another added, “Our brains will switch to another mode, and we will be more patient, and we will read more carefully.” This challenges the image of the distracted student, suggesting that attention is not simply eroded by digital habits but shaped by context, motivation and the clarity of instructional design. Importantly, students reminded us that classroom boredom is nothing new. As educators, we must trust in students’ capacity for sustained, focused engagement when the context and content merit it. Rather than worrying about shrinking attention spans, we can redirect our energy towards helping students make the switch into a learning “mode” through clear, respectful and intellectually substantive material.

By focusing on effective content design and recognising students’ agency, educators can create learning environments that don’t just capture interest, but hold it.

This article was supported by Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University’s Research Centre for AI and Education.

Svetoslav Georgiev is an associate professor; Joseph Tinsley is an educational developer at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University.

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