Generation Z has been changing the way we consume media—turning away from traditional sources and moving toward social media.
Key Details
- Gen Z is moving away from traditional entertainment, spending less than an hour a day watching TV and shifting to shorter videos on YouTube and TikTok.
- Almost nine out of 10 Gen Z adults spend more than an hour on social media each day, and close to half spend more than three hours on the platforms, according to a Creatopy survey.
- The time spent on social media differs from the older generations as Gen Z spends more time on YouTube and TikTok while the older generations spend more time on Facebook.
Why it’s news
The media business is very much in flux right now. For the first time, streaming services attracted more viewer than linear TV, TikTok is greatly expanding its followers, and the movie business is struggling to fill theater seats.
Gen Z typically refers to anyone born between 1997 and 2012 (so people under 26 generally) and has been labeled the “online generation” as people born in those years grew up in the age of technology and social media.
The generation has a different approach to entertainment and consumes media differently than other generations focusing less on TV and more on social media.
Gen Z watches TV less than any others age group. According to Insider Intelligence, U.S. adults ages 18 to 24 spend less than an hour a day watching TV. Instead, Gen Z gets most of its videos from YouTube and TikTok.
Nearly nine in 10 U.S. Gen Z adults spend more than an hour on social media each day, and about half spend more than three hours with the platforms, according to a Creatopy survey.
Gen Z spends more time on social media than other generations but uses different platforms than their older counterparts. Gen Z spends most of their time browsing TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram, while older generations spend their time mainly on Facebook.
About 25.7% of Gen Z adults say YouTube is their top-used platform, followed by TikTok with 25% and Instagram with 20%.
As social media continues to grow and more people become accustomed to using it, traditional media sources will most likely continue to fall in popularity, and more social media platforms will try to succeed.