US adults spend most social media time on Facebook—but not Gen Z

Key stat: US adults spend more time on Facebook (20 minutes) than any other platform, followed by TikTok (18 minutes), per our June 2024 forecast.

Beyond the chart:

• US adults ages 18 to 24 will spend more than twice as much time this year on Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok as the total population, according to our June 2024 forecast.
• About nine in 10 (87.9%) Gen Zers use social media compared with 53.9% of baby boomers, per our forecast.
• TikTok and Instagram use have both reached saturation among Gen Zers—72.1% of Gen Z is now on TikTok and 72.5% use Instagram, per EMARKETER. Gen Z will outnumber millennials on Instagram by 2025.

Use this chart:

• Demonstrate how different generations use social media platforms.
• Tailor social media campaigns to target certain demographics.
• Evaluate how to allocate ad dollars across social media platforms.

More like this:

• Facebook, TikTok see growth among niche groups, but the core user base remains stable
• Social network users are increasing their use of Reddit more than any other channel
• Digital media makes up nearly two-thirds of consumers’ total time spent with media
• TikTok can’t count on Gen Z for big gains in time spent anymore

Note: Time spent with each medium includes multitasking; for example, 1 hour of multitasking on a mobile phone while watching TV is counted as 1 hour for mobile phone and 1 hour for TV. Figures are rounded to the nearest minute. Estimates of average time spent with media are based on the total US adult population according to the US Census Bureau 2010 release, not the number of users of each medium.

Methodology: Estimates are based on the analysis of estimates from other research firms, consumer media consumption trends, device adoption trends, company reports, primary research, and interviews.