52% of Indian Gen Z parents trust AI for parenting advice: Report
Report finds 28% of Gen Z buy into brands for community, while AI-driven wellness and algorithm resistance surge in 2025.
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Gen Z is no longer just the generation of avocado toast and youthful rebellion. They are changing diapers too, and in the process, redefining the rules of modern parenthood. According to the GIPSI inSIGHT 2026 report by GIPSI, the HI + AI insights division of Tonic Worldwide, 52% of Indian Gen Z parents already use AI over traditional search engines for advice and decision-making, signalling a major shift in how parenting guidance is sourced. As Gen Z moves into parenthood, their relationship with technology is evolving from convenience to reliance, and their consumer behaviour is increasingly driven by community, emotional intelligence, and digital-first decision-making.
This shift is not just about changing life stages, but about how Gen Z now expects brands to fit into their lives. The report highlights that 28% of Gen Z consumers say they buy into brands to be part of the community they build, indicating that loyalty is no longer rooted only in product quality but in identity and belonging. In this new era, the avocado-toast stereotype coexists with Gen Z parents debating screen ethics, content quality, and emotional well-being. The message is clear: Gen Z can no longer be viewed only through the youth-culture lens, they are now shaping the future of parenting and consumer culture simultaneously.
As wellness becomes a marker of status and self-care, consumers are reworking their routines, and mornings have replaced late nights as the new social hour. The report notes 28.8 million+ searches around ‘Breakfast Clubs’ in 2025, revealing how consumers are turning mornings into a lifestyle choice. At the same time, 25.7 million+ searches around ‘Non-Alcoholic Beer’ show a growing shift away from alcohol and late-night culture. Wellness is no longer passive; it is tracked, optimized, and displayed. The trend of fitness “flexing” is evident in the 551K+ total engagement on Instagram Reels featuring running metrics and fitness highlights, where rest and activity are treated as measurable achievements.
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But the most profound shift may be the rise of Artificial Emotion (AE). AI is no longer just about computing and efficiency, it is becoming a source of emotional connection. The report highlights 175 million+ total engagement on top 10 Reels about ‘AI Girlfriend/Boyfriend’, showing how emotional AI is now a mainstream fascination. This trend is particularly strong among younger users, with 18–25 year-olds accounting for 36% of AI users who use it to monitor or improve their well-being. As algorithms move from intelligence to emotion, the rules of trust change, creating new complexities in how consumers form relationships with technology.
Yet, as AI becomes more embedded in daily life, consumers are also pushing back against digital control. The report reveals that 4.6 million+ engagement on Reels about ‘Bloom Scrolling’ reflects a growing movement to reclaim attention from algorithmic feeds. Consumers are actively rebuilding their online spaces, muting recommendations, resetting histories, and opting out of forced discovery. This resistance is further evidenced by 114 million+ global searches for ad blockers, and 8.5 million+ views on YouTube content explaining how to reset social media algorithms, showing that users are taking conscious steps to regain autonomy over their digital experience.
The pursuit of convenience has also reshaped wellness habits, turning complex routines into quick fixes. The report notes a 75% rise in searches for ‘Glutathione tablets’ in 2025 vs 2023, highlighting how audiences increasingly seek pills for skin brightening and quick results. Interest in next-generation weight-loss drugs is also surging, with searches for Tirzepatide up 67% year-on-year, while Ozempic-related content has crossed 437K+ Instagram posts. Even synbiotics have seen interest grow four times, underscoring how consumers prefer palm-sized solutions that fit into their daily routines.
The report also introduces the rising influence of Queenagers, women over 45 who are digitally savvy and highly intentional in their social media use. With 50% AI adoption, Queenagers are becoming tech tastemakers brands cannot ignore. The report highlights that 34% use social platforms primarily for inspiration, and 29% actively seek like-minded communities, demonstrating purposeful engagement rather than performative usage. Despite their purchasing power and influence, Queenagers remain largely overlooked, representing a wide-open opportunity for brands.
Commenting on the findings, Anjali Malthankar, Global Strategy Director and GIPSI co-head at Tonic Worldwide, said that the report aims to decode deeper shifts shaping consumer behaviour, including Gen Z entering parenthood and consumers redefining wellness and digital autonomy. Unmisha Bhatt, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Tonic Worldwide, added that these trends are immediate realities reshaping how businesses must think about relevance, innovation, and growth, urging brands to respond with meaningful market moves.
GIPSI’s HI + AI methodology, based on a 360-degree model, triangulates multiple data points to deliver these insights, capturing the subtle consumer shifts that often go unnoticed amid market noise.
As Gen Z parents turn to AI for guidance and consumers reclaim control over attention and wellness, the report suggests that 2026 will be defined by a new era of intentional, emotionally driven, and technology-integrated consumer behaviour.
