Gen Zers are the most adventurous and active digital participants

• Gen Zers are already incorporating AI into their lives. About 61% of Gen Zers have positive attitudes toward AI-generated content on social media, according to our July 2023 US Gen Z Social Media Survey. The cohort views it as a tool to simplify their lives—to edit essays, check code, and plan travel itineraries, among other tasks.
• Gen Z spends the most time on social media. Gen Zers ages 18 to 24 spend more time on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat than any other age group, according to our forecast. These platforms become community spaces where they interact beyond simple messaging: They share memes and new interests, video chat, and collaborate on content.

• Gen Z dominates Snapchat and TikTok. Gen Z internet users are leading other generations in Snapchat and TikTok penetration by at least 20 percentage points. And the cohort is expected to overtake millennials on Instagram by 2024. Snapchat’s main appeal is messaging (particularly among teens), while TikTok is the go-to for short-form video entertainment.
• Almost 60% of Gen Z has made a social commerce purchase this year, per our forecast. Roughly 50% of Gen Z social users reported using TikTok and Instagram for shopping/product discovery in the past month, according to our US Gen Z Social Media Survey. As the cohort’s top social sites, the platforms provide easy access to user reviews in comments and response videos.
• Gen Z games at higher rates than other generations. Nearly 71% of Gen Zers are digital gamers, per our forecast, and they’re likely to spend 3 to 6 hours gaming every week, according to a February 2023 poll conducted by Morning Consult. This is one of the few digital arenas where Gen Z beats millennials not only in penetration but in size—by nearly a million users, according to our forecast. This lead is likely to change, however, as Gen Zers lose free time as they age.

What does it mean for advertisers? Social media platforms are the nexus of Gen Z’s interests. The cohort still watches long-form video and takes up digital gaming, but social media is where they turn to share thoughts, get recommendations, and stay up to date on current events. As digital natives, they’re generally accustomed to adopting new technology. But because their preferred content spaces tend to prioritize personal experience over stylized brand marketing, transparency and authenticity are key in Gen Z-aimed messaging.