S&P Global Market Intelligence’s Kagan arm surveyed U.S. adults on their social media habits. The results show that Generation Z users spend nearly double the amount of time on social media as millennials — and three times that of Gen Xers and baby boomers/seniors.
Furthermore, Gen Z adults spend over five hours per day on social media — substantially higher than older generations.
Key highlights from report include:
- Facebook and Instagram were the top two social media platforms in the U.S. With the exception of TikTok, most Americans surveyed tend to spend less than one hour per day on a specific social media platform. Americans, on average, currently use 2.6 social media platforms, a decline from 3.2 in early 2023.
- Approximately three-quarters (73%) of Gen Z adults and over half (52%) of millennials said they strongly or somewhat agree that they receive better TV and movie recommendations from social media than from online video services compared to much smaller percentages for older respondents.
- Nearly two-thirds (62%) of Gen Z adults reported that they strongly agree/somewhat agree with the statement “I have purchased items/merchandise directly from a social media platform (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok),” while approximately half (47%) of millennials had the same response, compared to 31% of Gen Xers and only 21% of baby boomers/seniors.
