An insight into Gen Z’s storytelling devices and the stories that inspire them.
Whether it’s the sarcastic tone, the global reach of social media, or the rise of vertical video, Gen Z has undeniably made storytelling its own. In many cases, this has led to the reinvention of classic narratives, reworked into formats that feel immediate, relatable, and impossible to scroll past.
Beyond the endless variety offered by social media algorithms, several patterns stand out in how Gen Z tells stories: dynamic editing, bold colours, dark humour, and provocative hooks. Every element is designed with one goal in mind: to stop the scroll and hold the viewer’s attention, even if only for a few seconds.
While no generation can be defined by a handful of viral examples, certain formats offer valuable insight into what captures attention today, and perhaps, what the future of storytelling might look like.
Coolman Coffeedan, channel by Danny Casale
Amassing millions of views across platforms, Danny Casale has built a distinctive voice through what he himself describes as “bad animation.”
Working in short-form vertical video, his content features bright colours, crude drawings, and deceptively simple characters.
Beneath this aesthetic, however, lies a familiar narrative structure: much like traditional fables, his stories often use animals and exaggerated figures to convey moral lessons about love, self-worth, and kindness.
What sets his work apart is precisely this contrast. The rough, accessible visuals lower the barrier to entry, while the vibrant palette and fast pacing keep viewers engaged. It is storytelling stripped down to its essentials, then rebuilt for a digital-native audience.
In one example, a snail narrates its daily life, ultimately delivering a message of self-compassion.
Far removed from the polished fables of La Fontaine, Coolman Coffeedan revives the same narrative function through a format that feels current, immediate, and widely accessible.
Bible BFF, developed by Idea Garden LLC
Bible BFF takes a radically different approach: transforming religious text into something closer to gossip.
Designed as an app, it presents biblical stories through casual, voice note-style narration, as if a friend were recounting dramatic events after a long day.
The result is a format that feels intimate, informal, and surprisingly engaging.
By reframing dense, traditional material in this way, the app introduces an entertaining layer to religious storytelling, making it more approachable for younger audiences.
Within a month of its release, it surpassed 50,000 downloads and ranked among the most downloaded Bible apps worldwide, according to its developer.
As is often the case with vertical media, the format extends beyond the app itself. Clips of users reacting to or recommending the content circulate widely online, amplifying its reach and reinforcing its appeal.
Once again, Gen Z’s reinterpretation of storytelling opens the door to renewed interest in texts that might otherwise feel distant or inaccessible.
Classic Tea, created by Léna Couartou
Inspired by the rise of “bad animation” (see Jack Stauber or David Firth) and the popularity of informal, gossip-style storytelling, Britannicus is reimagined in a short-form video that blends humour with narrative clarity.
The project stems from a simple observation made while tutoring French literature: many students are reluctant to engage with classic texts, yet respond positively when those same stories are presented in a more relatable way.
The video adopts a conversational, “storytime” tone, retelling the plot through exaggerated, gossipy narration. Alongside this, several digital storytelling techniques are used to maintain engagement: censored sound effects for comedic timing, a subtly dramatic score to build tension, and an opening hook framed as a text message to immediately draw the viewer in.
Rather than diminishing the original work, this approach reframes it, allowing new audiences to access its themes through a familiar lens.
While some critics argue that Gen Z’s reliance on irony and humour risks trivialising classic texts, these examples suggest otherwise. Instead, they reveal a generation deeply engaged with storytelling, one that continues to draw from the past while reshaping it to fit the rhythms and expectations of the present.
In this evolving landscape, the classics are not being abandoned. They are being retold, reinterpreted, and, perhaps most importantly, kept alive.
