US Digital Habits by Generation 2026

Gen Alpha Goes Digital and Gen Z Teens Champion TikTok

Report by Paola Flores-Marquez  | Nov 20, 2025
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Gen Alphas are shifting from family devices to their own digital worlds
TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram dominate Gen Zers’ attention—but not their entire digital world
Millennials’ digital engagement reflects breadth rather than intensity
Gen Xers are (slightly) expanding their digital comfort zone
Digital buying and video viewing lure baby boomers to try new habits
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
YouTube’s established dominance faces new competition from TikTok, long-held digital habits are maturing, and digital video is universal. Our latest forecast data reveals where each age group overindexes, how their time spent is shifting across platforms, and what marketers should prioritize next to stay relevant.
Topics
Generation Z
Millennials
Children
United States
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Gen Alphas are shifting from family devices to their own digital worlds
TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram dominate Gen Zers’ attention—but not their entire digital world
Millennials’ digital engagement reflects breadth rather than intensity
Gen Xers are (slightly) expanding their digital comfort zone
Digital buying and video viewing lure baby boomers to try new habits
Sources
Media Gallery

Identify which platforms and digital behaviors define each generation in 2025—and how brands can adapt media and marketing strategies to meet shifting audience preferences in 2026.

Key Question: Which digital platforms offer the greatest opportunities for reaching and influencing each generation?

Key Stat: Social media users ages 18 to 24 spend 59 minutes daily on YouTube versus 58 minutes on TikTok, while teens spend more time on TikTok than on YouTube.

Teens Are the Only Age Group to Spend More Time on TikTok Than YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, or Facebook
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Table of Contents

  1. Executive Summary
  2. Gen Alphas are shifting from family devices to their own digital worlds
  3. TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram dominate Gen Zers’ attention—but not their entire digital world
  1. Millennials’ digital engagement reflects breadth rather than intensity
  2. Gen Xers are (slightly) expanding their digital comfort zone
  3. Digital buying and video viewing lure baby boomers to try new habits
  1. Sources
  2. Media Gallery

Charts in This Report

Teens Are the Only Age Group to Spend More Time on TikTok Than YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, or FacebookGen Alpha Is More Likely to Use YouTube Than Any Other Platform, but They Still Lag Behind the General Population
Teens Are the Only Age Group to Spend More Time on TikTok Than YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, or FacebookNearly 3 in 4 Gen Z Workers Who Use AI Turn to It for Brainstorming New Ideas (% of US Gen Z workers who use AI, on their AI use cases, May 2025)
At Least a Third of Millennials Use Most Major Social and Video Platforms, Versus Roughly a Quarter for the Total PopulationFacebook Is the Only Platform Baby Boomers Come Close to Using at the Same Rate as the Total Population

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authors

Paola Flores-Marquez

Contributors

Ethan Cramer-Flood
Suzy Davidkhanian
VP, Content
Zach Goldner
Senior Forecasting Analyst
Brian Lau
Senior Forecasting Analyst
Na Li
Director, Primary Research
Oscar Orozco
Senior Director, Forecasting
Jennifer Pearson
VP, Research
Naomi Rebuelta
Copy Editor
Heather Sprung
Senior Editor
Emman Velasco
Chart Editor