Each generation brings something to the table that differs from the last. Just a few years ago, the world’s youth began to alter how we view social media and its platforms.
Gen Z social media usage statistics tell us a lot about how they use the internet as well as social media.
Today, Generation Z is the first completely digital generation and that means marketers, influencers.
Brands, business owners, and content creators need to better understand their behavior on social media as well as their needs.
Because Gen Z has been immersed in technology and social media, they are also driven by the latest trends.
Unlike Baby Boomers and Generation X, Generation Z use social media for more than just entertainment or to communicate with friends and family.
The following Gen Z social media usage statistics for 2025 are not only interesting to content creators, business owners, brands, influencers, and markets, but also to anyone who uses social media.
Let’s get into how Gen Z uses social media and more.
Key Gen Z Social Media Usage Statistics 2025
- Gen Z social media users create and share memes as part of their daily activities.
- Over 50% of Gen Z-ers make creativity a priority in their down time.
- 62% of Generation Z social media users claim to use Instagram daily.
- 60% of Gen Z says that YouTube is their preferred platform.
- About 80% of Gen Z social media users follow at least one influencer, which is a characteristic they share with Millennials.
Detailed Gen Z Social Media Usage Statistics 2025
Generation Z (Gen Z) includes people born between 1997 and 2012 who are now between the ages of 16 and 25.
They are children that come from Generation X parents. Gen Z is also referred to as centennials or iGen, depending who you ask.
The fact that this generation has been raised using social media and the internet is the most unique characteristic of the generation.
The Gen Z social media usage statistics reveal even more unique characteristics of this generation.
Gen Z Social Media Usage – Activities Statistics
Generation Z accounts for about 20% of the American population. More than half of this generation uses social media, but not just for communicating with family and friends.
Let’s see what the demographic stats have to say about this generation.
One of the common traits of Generation Z is that they enjoy sharing memes every day. These memes may be funny, cute, inspirational, motivational, etc.
Memes for this generation embrace this method of expression.
Because they are so tech-savvy, they may be creating memes to share across social channels, However, that doesn’t mean all Gen Z-ers are making and sharing memes every day, just that a majority of them are according to the statistics.
2. Over 50% of Gen Z-Ers Make Creativity a Priority in Their Down Time.
Gen Z social media usage statistics show that more than half of Gen Z like to be creative in their down time.
Unlike previous generations, Gen Z likes to relax and do creative things, like make memes, when they aren’t working or studying.
Prior generations didn’t have the same technology available to them when they were the up-and-coming generation, so they spent their time doing things their generation enjoyed.
Creativity could well have been one of the things some Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers did in their generations.
3. 62% of Generation Z Social Media Users Claim to Use Instagram Daily.
If you look around today, you see today’s generation looking down at their phones often. They have them with them everywhere they go, and they make the most from their smartphones.
62% of Gen Z-ers use Instagram every day. You will soon see they also use TikTok and YouTube a lot as well.
As this generation begins to age, the potential for more Facebook and Twitter use could become a thing.
4. 60% of Gen Z Says that You Tube Is Their Preferred Platform.
YouTube is the preferred platform of Generation Z social media users, according to 60% of this demographic that were surveyed.
YouTube was started within their generation, so it makes sense. YouTube’s visual platform is popular with nearly every generation for one reason or another.
Some of the reasons this generation watches YouTube include tutorial or how-to videos, news, education videos, product reviews, and other types of videos.
We wouldn’t be surprised if almost as many also create videos for consumption on YouTube. Being users implies both watching and creating videos.
This Gen Z social media usage statistic shows that most of this generation follows at least on Influencer, which can mean on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or other social platforms.
It could also mean that they follow one influencer across multiple platforms.
Millennials share this trait with Gen Z. It’s not unusual for most people to follow at least one influencer on social media.
Influencers by nature are there to build trust and confidence in others as part of their business.
Not everything they do is just for the money. Influencers are passionate about helping others in their niche.
Gen Z Social Media Usage – Characteristics Statistics
The generations before Gen Z were at the mercy of the educational system, libraries, their parents, and television for news and current events.
Millennials may have had some technology available, but not at the same level as Gen Z.
When discussing Gen Z social media usage, it’s important to know the five primary characteristics that define them.
6. Gen Z Is a Tech-Savvy Generation.
What should one expect from a generation that was born into a world full of technology, and raised using it and sometimes by it.
Most Gen Z social media users know how to use mobile devices, tablets, and computers.
They know how to use these devices because they are so familiar with them. Gen Z-ers were virtually born with technology in their hands.
Even so, many of them still lack experience in tech. They simply know how to use certain devices by default.
7. Gen Z Are Digital Natives.
Before Gen Z, children didn’t have almost immediate access to technology like Gen Z. Being digital natives means they have been and are connected all the time.
Some people even consider them to be hyperconnected.
It may seem hard to believe, but Gen Z-ers have no memory of a society where there are no smartphones.
They may get some knowledge from their parents and grandparents, but they have no personal memories of a world without smartphones.
8. Generation Z Have Short Attention Spans.
Who wouldn’t have a shorter attention span with all the instant gratification from modern technology? Gen Z social media usage stats show that Gen Z have attention spans shorter than goldfish.
Generation Alpha is also showing short attention span issues, which may follow future generations.
The idea of having a shorter attention span is misunderstood in this case. Gen Z-ers still work, study, and watch videos for 20 minutes or more.
The shorter attention span seems to be more related to interactions in which they are less interested, than it does as an overarching issue.
9. Gen Z Are Curious About Making Buying Decisions.
If you’re from a previous generation, you may not be as cautious as some from Generation Z.
This generation is determined to make buying deions only after reading reviews or more likely watching video product reviews.
Gen Z tends to do their research on products because many of them are in favor of taking care of the environment.
They not only look for quality products and services, but also if the company is eco-friendly and uses sustainable practices.
10. Generation Z Social Media Users Care About Their Online Presence.
Generation Z is also the first generation where social media became a vital part of personas. Before Gen Z, people didn’t even realize that Facebook or Instagram would be so popular.
While other generations are aware that their social presence offers social proof if you’re trying to create a revenue stream, Gen Z is completely informed and on board with how imperative social content is for their presence.
Gen Z Social Media Usage – Social Shopping Statistics
11. Over 65% of Gen Z Are Using Social Media Nowadays, According to Those Surveyed.
Gen Z may engage in conversations with friends and family across platforms, the Gen Z social media usage goes beyond that.
They use it to get information about products and services or to share reviews about products and services.
Some you need to know about Gen Z is that you must provide value in your content to get their attention or their loyalty.
This generation loves to spend time doing their research about services and products through social media.
12. As Of 2022, Gen Z-Ers Have Altered the Way Social E-Commerce Works.
Whether e-commerce on social media changed to provide a better experience first, or Gen Z prompted the change, it happened after this generation started making their buying decisions via social media.
Gen Z-ers want to enjoy a personal experience on social media and when shopping online. Gen Z is the primary target audience of marketers in the coming decade.
13. 98% of Gen Z-Ers Own a Smartphone and Use Their Apps for Over 4 Hours per Day, Not Including Gaming.
This is an e-commerce generation with a lot of buying power in their hands. Even though many of this generation are not yet in the workforce, they soon will be.
They do have income coming in from various sources like parents, freelancing, etc.
Generation Z has taken social media usage to the next level by making their purchases solely from social media.
The algorithms that drive recommendations according to preferences have made doing this easy for Gen Z.
Gen Z Social Media Usage – Demographics Statistics
By Gender:
14. 50% of Gen Z-Ers Say that People Are Not Accepting Enough of Those Who Don’t Identify as A Man or Woman.
That number is 47% for Millennials, 39% for Gen X, 36% for Baby Boomers, and 32% for the Silent generation.
32% of Generation Z said they are acquainted with at least one person who identifies as gender neutral.
For Millennials that percentage is 30%. The percentages for Gen X is 23%, Baby Boomers 13%, and the Silent generation 11%.
15. Of Those Who Identify as Male or Female, 56% Identify as Male and 44% as Female.
The Gen Z social media usage statistics reveal that more males than females use social media where they identify as male or female.
By Continent:
16. Latin America Has Experienced the Most Growth of Gen Z Social Media Usage.
The average Gen Z-er in Latin America spends nearly three and a half hours per day on social media.
17. Gen Z-Ers in Africa and The Middle East Are Increasing Their Social Media Usage.
Those of Generation Z in Africa and the Middle East are spending about three hours per day on social media.
18. North American and Asian Gen Z-Ers Have Upped Their Usage of Social Media.
The Gen Z population of North America and Asia uses social media at least two hours per day.
19. European Gen Z-Ers Use Social Media Less than On Other Continents.
At one hour and fifty minutes the European Generation Z population has the lowest social media usage rate.
20. Globally, Gen Z-Ers Spend an Average of 8 Hours per Day Online.
This includes surfing/browsing and social media. As for the average amount of Gen Z social media usage, that is 2.5 hours per day.
These hours are divided between those who chat and text with friends, shop online, and play games.
FAQs
What Is the Average Attention Span of Gen Z-Ers on Social Media?
The average attention span of a Gen Z-er is 8 seconds for posts on social media. This is challenging to brands, businesses, and influencers.
As a comparison, the attention span of Millennials comes to 12 seconds.
Where Do Gen Z-Ers Spend Most of Their Social Media Time?
Visual platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, etc, are the platforms most visited by Generation Z.
The numbers on that are Snapchat with 42 million Gen Z users, TikTok with 37.3 million Gen Z-ers, and Instagram with 33.3 million.
What Is the Most Popular Social Media Platform for Generation Z?
TikTok is the most popular social media platform of Gen Z. This generation prefers short-form video content.
Are There Mental Health Ramifications for Gen Z Social Media Usage?
Even without research and studies, you may already know a Gen Z-er with anxiety, chronic stress, depression, or other mental health problems.
Unfortunately, this is the downside of Gen Z social media usage. There is more to this than just the platforms.
The fear that they are missing out on something trending or interesting on social media tends to cause stress to this generation.
Negative feedback on posts is another stressor that can arise from social media.
Gen Z-ers seem to incessantly check their social media apps, which is associated anxiety based on young users’ behaviors.
Studies do help us to realize that nearly 50% of Generation Z social media users themselves believe that social media has negative impacts on their mental health especially regarding depression.
How can companies and brands boost brand loyalty among Generation Z?
The Short Answer Would Be to Focus on Product or Service Quality, but Also on Personal Interactions.
68% of Generation Z check out online reviews before making a purchase of goods or services.
Also, more than 35% of online purchases made by this generation are made from their mobile devices, not their laptops or desktops.
Generation Z pays more attention to digital products than former generations.
They see more value in digital products. They also prefer to pay for online streaming services like Disney+ and Netflix.
How Do Gen Z-Ers Interact with Influencers?
Influencers are now wildly popular mostly due to Gen Z. Over 75% of this generation claims to follow at least one influencer in their social media usage.
As a result, brands are experiencing fabulous outcomes from using influencer marketing targeted at Gen Z.
Which Influencers Are the Most Popular Among Gen Z Users?
Remember that Gen Z-ers are basically driving influencer marketing today. Here are the top five influencers followed by Gen Z-ers.
• Charli D’Amelio
• Khaby Lame
• Addison Rae
• JoJo Siwa
• James Charles
What Kind of Content Is Favored by Gen Z?
We sort of covered this earlier, but Gen Z-ers are visual, so they prefer visual platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, etc.
To take this further, they prefer short-form visual content like YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, Instagram Stories, and especially TikTok videos.
They don’t just watch this media, they often create and publish it.
How Does Gen Z Look in The Future?
While we aren’t psychic, we can use statistics to determine to some level of accuracy how Gen Z will look in and after 2022.
With 40% of all online buyers are now Gen Z-ers, brands and businesses should be focusing on this generation now.
By 2030, 30% of the world’s workforce will be from Generation Z.
Gen Z-ers desire a better work life balance than their generational counterparts.
You can’t skip over diversity when discussing Gen Z since this is a big issue according to them. This will likely become a more woke world in the near future.
That is something all companies need to consider for their workforce changes and for their marketing strategies.
Does Generation Z Use Social Media More than Millennials?
Yes. Gen Z-ers use social media more than Millennials.
As the tide has turned, it’s obvious that there are more Gen Z-ers on social media all over the world.
Which Social Media Outlet Is the Most Popular Among Gen Z?
YouTube is at the top of the list for platforms used by this generation.
That doesn’t mean they are into long videos, so YouTube Shorts might be better if you’re looking to attract the Gen Z market.
Conclusion
These Gen Z social media usage statistics for 2025 should prove to you that a new generation is dawning across the globe. By 2030, this generation will be the ones in some leadership positions.
We also know that Gen Z social media usage has already changed the ecommerce industry by buying more directly from social media platforms.
This means we will all need to adapt to the new way of shopping, though there will still be ways for all of us to shop from websites instead of social media for a while.
Gen Z-ers are using social media more than any other generation right now, including Millennials.
That should come as no surprise since this generation was basically born with a smartphone in their hands.
If you’re a marketing professional, business, content creator, influencer, or brand, the above Gen Z social media usage statistics should help you to realize that it’s time to change your marketing strategies and to keep up changes in the future as this generation becomes adults in the workforce.
They are already making a lot of purchases on social media. Imagine what will happen when they have prosperous jobs. What about when they start having families?
One fact that we should all take away from this article is that Gen Z likes short form content like you see on TikTok’s 15-second videos, Instagram’s 30-second Reels, Instagram’s 24-hour disappearing Stories, and YouTube Shorts.
The potential for more short-form video content will certainly be driven by Gen Z. Does it make you wonder what Generation Alpha will bring to the table in the future?
If you’re a brand or business, it’s wise to keep up with the trends, news, and generational changes over the years to avoid being left behind.
We hope these Gen Z social media usage statistics have provided value to you.
Sources
| AdWeek | AECF | Business Insider |
| CTL Hawaii | eMarketer | Entrepreneur |
| Fleet Owner | Forbes | Gen HQ |
| Grin | GWI | Innovation Group |
| Madison Taylor Marketing | Marketing Charts | Pew Research |
| Retail Touch Points | Retail Dive | State News |
| The Conversation | The Guardian | Variety |
