(M)Product Managers and Gen Z Change Makers — Surveying Sociopolitical Issues, Awareness and Engagement
As multidisciplinary students interested in product management, we joined MProduct, the first and only Product Management student hub at the University of Michigan, against a backdrop of sociopolitical tension: dialing in virtually because of a public health crisis that also disproportionately affected different socioeconomic groups after a year of many other marginalized rights at stake under the spotlight (Black Lives Matter, Australia/California Fires, RBG/Womens’ Rights, etc). After a series of weekly design sprints over initiating user discovery and mock-ups, we were tasked to think of a semester-long rapid product prototyping project and the current state of our nation was at the forefront of our minds as problem space and area for change.
While trend reports were formally suggesting an increasing willing outspokenness among young voters and the Gen Z demographic, we as young adults also witness it firsthand. Our peers are posting more and more to voice their concerns and opinions about important issues on their social media pages not limited to Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. While prominent, the current digital landscape and algorithmic practices generate immense pressure around politics and social justice, lacking adequate platforms or resources to counter modern…
