TikTok can’t count on Gen Z for big gains in time spent anymore

TikTok remains Gen Zers’ preferred social network in terms of time spent, but its growth is hitting a wall. That’s natural, given the enormous amount of time they’re already spending on the app.

• Adult Gen Z TikTok users will spend an average of 1:16 on the app daily this year. That’s roughly equivalent to an episode of “Stranger Things.” This cohort will make up the platform’s second-biggest age group in terms of users, just behind 25- to 34-year-olds.
• Gen Z adults’ time spent with TikTok will approach their time spent with traditional TV. Many users in this age group watch movies and TV shows on TikTok, signaling that they view the app as an entertainment hub. TikTok is also trying to get more users to watch long-form video on the app.

• Among Gen Z adults, average time spent with TikTok will inch up by 1.3% YoY in 2024 and by 1.0% YoY in 2025, marking the slowest growth of any generation. Frustrations over the app’s increasingly heavy ad load—partly due to the launch of TikTok Shop—could be driving the platform’s most engaged users to spend more time elsewhere, such as watching connected TV (CTV) and other forms of entertainment. 

Read the full report, Social Time Spent by Generation 2024.