How TikTok Can Make You a Better Health Insurance User
By Alison Nelson, Employee Benefits Account Manager
For better or for worse, the way people are getting their news and information has changed. Senator Mark Warmer from Virginia said in this viral video at a press conference, “With 100 million Americans daily on TikTok, on an average of 90 minutes a day, this is an issue. I imagine most of you would like your networks to get 90 minutes a day from 100 million Americans.”
Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of downsides to people gathering their news and resources from social media. But surprisingly, there are also some positives. For example, let’s focus in on how TikTok is unexpectedly shaping the industry of health insurance.
With consumer habits being formed in the midst of funny cat videos, outfit inspirations, viral dances, and book recommendations, TikTok has slowly begun to function like a search engine. Sure, I can lookup things to do for my next vacation, but I can also lookup what an EOB is, what to do if a claim is denied, or how to get my medication for less money. Brokers, providers, and consumers alike are flocking to TikTok to share their tips and tricks for all things insurance. After scrutinizing some of my industry’s relevant content, I’ve got to say, some of the advice isn’t half bad.
Searching “health insurance” on TikTok will lead you to thousands of videos, most with the goal of helping consumers understand their insurance and teach them about available resources in an easily digestible manner. Below are a handful of topics I saw within a few effortless scrolls.
- What to do when you turn 26 and come off your parents’ health insurance plan
- Individual health insurance
- Insurance basics
- What is HIPAA
- HSA tips and tricks
With an increasing amount of Gen-Z (born from 1995 to 2009) in the workplace, and with Generation Alpha close behind (they’re already 13 years old), it’s important for professionals in all industries to meet the consumers where they want to be met, which, usually means online. The attention-grabbing style of TikTok makes topics like health insurance more palatable to our new workforce generations, and even to the older workforce who never fully understood what they had.
This abundance of health insurance resources on TikTok makes it obvious that this industry is changing. Consumers are savvier than they have ever been. This is incredibly exciting in terms of the educational effort insurance brokers like RISQ Consulting have been striving for. As a health insurance broker, I can’t emphasize enough how important knowing the basics of insurance is.
While I would caution against believing everything you see on TikTok, it is great to see an influx of information readily available to help you learn. Naturally, I always recommend discussing insurance with a licensed professional (preferably one from RISQ Consulting 😊) but, if nothing else, TikTok has proven itself to be a great place to start. It’s amazing to see more and more people take an interest in their healthcare and the healthcare system, after all, knowledge is power.
- Published in Blog
What’s the Tea – Your Guide to Understanding Your Gen Z Coworkers
By Alison Nelson, Sales and Marketing Coordinator
Sometimes I’ll say a phrase at work and receive blank stares from my colleagues. It’s easy to forget that different generations have varying phrases and slang and, while the world focused on Millennials, Gen Z has slowly entered the work force. According to this article, Gen Z was born from 1996-2015. Having been born in ’96 myself, I’m 25 years old and have been at RISQ Consulting for nearly four years, making me a prime example of how the older members of Gen Z are already starting their careers.
If you find yourself working alongside a Gen Z coworker (and if you’re not already, it’s only a matter of time), you may find yourself a bit off-put by some of the things we say. Below are some common Gen Z phrases and terms, along with their definitions, so you can understand what in the world is being said.
*Say the below terms at the risk of aging yourself and embodying the “fellow kids” meme. Think of this more of a translation guide.
Phrase: What’s the tea?
Meaning: What’s the gossip? The equivalent of “what’s the skinny”
Term: Dead / 💀
Meaning: That’s funny, basically the new “lol” and cry laughing emoji 😂
Term: Bet
Meaning: They’re not trying to place a bet. It means “ok” and “yes”, some say that it’s short for “you bet”
Phrase: It’s the _____ for me!
Meaning: Calling out something you like or dislike. This phrase can be used positively, negatively, and ironically. More often than not, it’s used negatively as a comedic insult. For example “it’s the unibrow for me”
Term: Cap
Meaning: This means lying. It’s commonly used said like “no cap”, meaning “no lie”
Term: Salty
Meaning: Bitter
Term: A bop
Meaning: A very catchy song
Term: Slaps
Meaning: Something that it cool, often used to describe a good song
Term: Fire
Meaning: Something that is really cool
Term: Sus
Meaning: Suspicious
Term: Simp
Meaning: Someone who is trying to hard to impress another person. This is usually used negatively.
Phrase: Clap back
Meaning: A comeback to an insult
Phrase: Big yikes
Meaning: Bummer
Since slang is constantly changing, here are a few phrases that are now considered out of vogue:
- Adulting
- I did a thing
- VSCO girl
- I’m not crying, you’re crying
- The struggle is real
- Sooo this happened
- I’m just gonna leave this here
Before you start to change your lingo, throw away your skinny jeans, or switch to a middle part, it’s important to note that a key characteristic of Gen Z is our value of diversity. Inclusion is also an important value to this generation so I wouldn’t worry about trying to conform to the new norms or fit in. At the end of the day, the divide between the varying generations is smaller than it seems.
I hope you found this guide helpful and enjoy working with your Gen Z coworkers, I promise, we don’t bite.
- Published in Blog
