← Behind the Numbers: an EMARKETER Podcast
Behind the Numbers: an EMARKETER Podcast
Gen Z’s Social Media Shuffle: Why 83% Are Turning the Volume Down — and Where They’re Going Next | Behind the Numbers
00:21:37
Loading summary
Transcript63 lines
- [00:00]
A
Consumers skip ads, it's true, but they don't skip rewards. Why would they? Fetch drives performance with over 12.5 million monthly active users and over 11 and a half million receipts scanned daily, it captures close to 90% of household spend. Close to 90. That's basically all of it. Your brand becomes the reward. Earnings, real engagement, verified purchases, and loyalty. Fetch America's rewards app, where brands are the center of joy. Best place to be. Hey, gang. It's Friday, October 10th. I don't know. I think. Yeah, it is mindless. Welcome to behind the Numbers new market video podcast made possible by Fetching Rewards. I'm Marcus. And joining me for today, we have two folks, both based in New York, coming to us from our New York studio, we have senior social media analyst, Minda Smiley.
- [01:03]
B
Hey, Marcus.
- [01:04]
A
Hello there. And we have our demographics analyst, Paola Flores Marquez.
- [01:08]
C
Hi, everyone.
- [01:09]
A
Hello. Today's fact. Okay, you'll be terrified to learn that we are outnumbered by LEGO people. So since 1978, Lego has produced over 8 billion Lego people, enough to outnumber humans, according to the Guinness World Records. How intimidated should we be?
- [01:35]
B
I mean, I feel like I'm already being outnumbered by LEGO people in my own apartment between my husband and my son. So, you know, just a normal day for me, I guess.
- [01:44]
A
Take you first, is what you say. Okay. If you haven't heard from Minda in a while, then you know the LEGO people are coming.
- [01:50]
B
Yeah.
- [01:51]
A
Since 1958, their patent in 1958, over 1.1 trillion bricks have been produced. Enough to circle the earth nearly 20 times or give every person alive 130 lego pieces.
- [02:08]
C
Redistribute the Legos. I'm on board. I think we all should have legos. Yeah.
- [02:12]
A
Yeah. If I ran for president, that would be my platform.
- [02:15]
C
I think you'd win. I would vote for you easily.
- [02:17]
A
You kidding?
- [02:18]
C
And they're expensive. Okay?
- [02:20]
A
So exactly. You're welcome, America. LEGO also holds the Guinness World Record as the largest tire manufacturer on the planet, making around 700 million mini tires every year, more than Goodyear, Michelin, Bridgestone combined. Wow. So if they do attack, they'll be. They'll be in vehicles, they'll be able to mobilize.
- [02:42]
C
I welcome our LEGO overlords. Yeah, that would be a more peaceful world.
- [02:46]
A
Yeah, probably a better one.
- [02:47]
B
Bring it on. Let's see what happens. Yeah.
- [02:50]
A
Anyway, today's real topic, what Gen Z now want from social media. So 83% of Gen Z'ers have tried to limit their social media usage. 83%, according to the Harris poll, real quick. Paolo, turn to you demographics person Gen Z 13 to 28 now.
- [03:15]
C
Yeah, 13 to 28 because the eldest of Gen Alphas will be turning 13 next year.
- [03:20]
A
Okay, okay. It's quite the range of people at very different stages of life, but that's the group we're talking about. And over 8 in 10 of them trying to limit their social media use, which, that's a high number. This is not older folks who remember growing up in a world before smartphones existed. These are the digital generation. We've seen digital detox stats before, mind, yet there's research from DCDX noting that Gen Z spends well over seven hours a day on their phones. That's getting close to half of their waking hours staring at a phone screen. With that in mind, they minda because you have this data point about Gen Z trying to take a step back from social media somewhat. With that in mind, what's your take on this key stat that 83% of Gen Z'ers have tried to limit their social media usage?
- [04:11]
B
Yeah, I mean, I think it's interesting but not necessarily surprising. And I think when you drill down to the data a little bit more, you see that what that actually looks like can take many forms, which partly explains why that number is so high. I mean, the top reason that many of them cited in terms of how they try to limit their usage is muting or unfollowing an account. And that's certainly a way to limit usage. But even if you mute one account, you still might be using social media quite a bit. So I think the form it can take definitely varies, but I think what it really speaks to why that number is so high is just this general sentiment that a lot of them, they are hyper aware of how much they use social media and a lot of them do want to get off. I think sometimes we tend to paint this picture of like this generation that just like love social media and, and that they kind of just, you know, don't want to get off of it. But I think it's much more nuanced than that.
- [05:04]
C
Yeah, yeah. I mean they're, they're not babies. Like 70% of them are over the age of 18, like they're adults and they're reading what we're reading about how bad social media is for you. Like they're well aware and they're well aware that it's addictive by nature, by design, I should say. And so, and a lot of them have grown up kind of with the toxicity like first and like oh, sorry. With the front ro. With a front row view of the toxicity that can come from it. Like, whether it's interpersonal or like, misinformation.
- [05:31]
B
Oh, yeah.
- [05:32]
C
And so I think that's kind of also leading them to romanticize a world without smartphones that they may or may not remember.
- [05:37]
B
Yeah, And I think you bring up a good point, pal. I think sometimes we, And I'm guilty of it too, like, we tend to think of them as these really young people. Some of them are close to 30. Some of them, like, are probably starting families. They definitely are. Like, these are not. These are adults with jobs and careers and houses and like, they, you know, it's. I feel like it's important to note that because, yeah, they know what's going on. They are well aware of the impact that socials had on their lives.
- [05:59]
A
Over 70%. Being over 18 is important context because Gen Z does sound like just a very, very young generation. And in reality, to what you guys are saying, it's just not anymore. I want to throw that data up on the screen here, Minda, what you were talking about, basically looking at how folks are trying to limit their social media usage. This data from the Harris poll. As you said, the first way that folks are trying to limit their social media use is that 42% who are unfollowing and muting accounts, 40% are deleting social media apps outright, but not their accounts. They're deleting the apps. And 36% disabling out of app notifications. So they're turning the volume down, so to speak, as opposed to stepping away forever. Have we seen any change in this kind of behavior or is it typically been, I'm just trying to take a step away as opposed to shut it off completely?
- [06:54]
B
Yeah, I mean, I would say, you know, just from conversations I've had and data I've looked at, I think, I think in very few instances is it like a cold turkey approach. I think. I love the way you put it, Marcus. Like, it's turning the volume down. It's being more mindful of how much you're spending on these, you know, how much time you're spending on these apps. I don't think there are many people out there that are able to just like, delete all the major apps they use and just kind of continue on with their lives. It's just. It's become so embedded.
- [07:17]
C
Yeah. It's inescapable and it's the primary form of communication with their friends. And as we were talking about, like, memes are a love language. Like, it's the way that you sort of conn. Connect now and it's hard to take away or to step away from that for long term.
- [07:30]
A
Yeah, yeah. It's not just stepping away from an app. It's a step away from your social group, which I challenge anyone to do wherever that social group may be hanging out. So I guess it's kind of like, I don't know, I felt like this way myself growing up. I didn't really. I wasn't going to clubs and bars that much, but that's where everyone was. And so you kind of had to go even if you. If you didn't want to, because that's where most of your friends were. And that's. This just seems like the new version of that. So let's. Okay, so lots of folks using social media who are in this Gen Z group, but they are trying to step away somewhat. If we scratch below the surface though, of this, I mean, it's still an inordinate amount of time on these, on these platforms, seven hours a day, looking at screens for young people, according to that research I just mentioned. In terms of where young people are spending their social media time in particular. Minda, what can you tell us?
- [08:21]
B
Yeah, I mean, I think the major apps that you think of are where. Are. Where they're generally spending their time. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube. That being said, we are seeing some interesting, interesting trends play out on those platforms. And I know pal can speak to that as well. But while, while TikTok does remain the most popular app among this generation, they are spending less and less time on it year over year when we look at our forecasts. So I think, I think some of the magic around TikTok is, has been starting to fade a little bit. And then of course, all the uncertainty around the app in the US specifically is playing into that as well. So we're seeing, you know, that. That lose its luster a little bit. And then YouTube, interestingly, is really kind of on the up and up. There was a really interesting stat. Over half of Gen Zers said they're using YouTube more this year than they did last year, according to a YouGov survey. And that really just stuck out to me. I mean, considering YouTube has been around for quite some time, it's not some like, new app on the scene. I mean, YouTube has been around for a really long time. And so to see that we're still seeing a young generation still really be interested in YouTube and want to spend even more time There, I think just speaks to the fact that YouTube is having a moment right now for many reasons, which we can get, we can get into.
- [09:27]
C
But yeah, I think that totally checks. You brought up in your report as well that they're becoming more passive. Right. Like their level of consumption is like millennials. We would post like our shoes, like a random photo dump of like our night out. Right. Like, I think Gen Z is a lot more selective of. How about like when they're interacting on social media and what they're posting about it, they're very selective about what parts of their life they're sharing and that's kind of led them to be like, come at it from a more consuming base as opposed to like an active, Active contribution.
- [09:56]
A
Yeah, yeah, that's one of the things that jumped out to me actually was that we're firmly in the era of social entertainment. Because when in your report you heard there's this question, when asked the top reasons Gen Zers use social media, most 76% said as an entertainment source, to speak into what Powell's saying in terms of being passive consumption of the content. That's right behind that, 69% of people saying that it's just to pass the time. And that's compared to third place, 53% of people saying to connect to people. I know. So how people are using social is incredibly different. YouTube, I think YouTube from the survey data gang, is YouTube on top? Because sometimes we don't consider it as a social network, but it is part of social media. Is YouTube got more users and more time spent for this generation?
- [10:46]
C
I think so. I mean it tops every single generation. It is the leading platform for almost every, I think all generations.
- [10:53]
A
Okay.
- [10:54]
C
Like the level of activity on it. Like my, my 65 year old father can't figure out his email, but he certainly figured out YouTube. So yeah, it is. If when you include it in the social media roster, it tends to top the list.
- [11:08]
B
Yeah, yeah, okay. It is incredibly popular and I think. But yeah, I think, I mean TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, they're all, they're all still being used. Even Snapchat, I mean I. Snapchat still definitely in the mix. I know they're one of the smaller players, but I mean I talked to someone recently, he said like a marketer who was saying like Snapchat is basically like the equivalent of a phone number for younger people. Like when you in high school, you're going to give someone your Snapchat, you're not going to give someone your number anymore. And so like there are all these kind of different ways. The platforms, they kind of have their own individual places within the day to day lives of Gen Zers.
- [11:39]
C
Yeah, I was just working on something yesterday. I was like, 50% of Snapchat is Gen Z. They make up half the platform. It's massive excuse.
- [11:47]
B
Young for sure.
- [11:49]
A
Instagram seemed to be Millennials address book. Snapchat sounds like it's Gen Z's address book, so to speak. Really quickly looking at those three platforms. What's interesting though from the data you have in your research minder, is that there's a real divergence happening by platform. According to our forecast, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat all had about a similar number of Gen Z users, close to 50 million each last year. And in the next four to five years, young Instagram users will grow by 10 million. So that's going to go up and to the right. TikTok users will grow slightly by about 3 million over that time, not per year over that time. And young Snapchat users will fall by about 3 million over that same period. So Instagram up, TikTok up and flat pretty much, and then Snapchat down a little bit. Is that because they're just getting older and using social media differently than when they were younger, or is there something happening by platform that is really pulling in those younger users?
- [12:42]
B
A few different reasons. I mean, I think generally you're right, Marcus. I think a lot of them do age out of Snapchat. We certainly saw it with Millennials. Like I used to use it, a, I hardly ever use it anymore. So I think partly is just like the aging aspect. I do think Instagram's interesting. We are seeing a lot of momentum with Instagram among Gen Z, and I think part of that is just the platform's ability to kind of diversify. They have, they have the main feed, they have stories, they have messaging reels, have momentum. So there's just kind of a lot there. And I think, you know, I was kind of thinking about it earlier. Like I almost feel like, and this is not, this is not an exact comparison, but I almost feel like Instagram is to Gen Z as like what Facebook was to millennial 1000% and that like, you might not even really like Instagram that much, but you just like every Millennial has a Facebook account, even if you never use it. Like you just have one because you do. And I feel like for a lot of Gen Z, like they just have one because, yeah, like they might just want to have it, have A handle just to be able to message a few people or whatever. But like the point being that like, it's kind of just become a staple.
- [13:41]
C
Yeah, I completely agree. And like it is kind of once you age out of Snapchat, that's where people find you if they need to find you, especially if you don't want to give your direct phone number. And yeah, I think if Instagram can fix its social function, it would be unstoppable. It not only copies the features that other platforms put out, they do it really remarkably well in a way that kind of feels organic to the platform. So strength on that part, I think.
- [14:08]
A
It'S really important that you know, and you've just mentioned a little bit here, which is that even though Instagram will have more users For Gen Z, TikTok will capture more time. And so it is incredibly popular in terms of people spending time there. You write that US Gen Z is 18 to 24, that is spending an average of 58 minutes a day on TikTok versus 45 minutes a day on Instagram. And among teens, the gap is even wider. 53 minutes on TikTok, 20 minutes on Instagram. In your research as well, Mindy, you note that Gen Z is interested in interacting with creators outside of social media's walls. How so? What do you mean by this?
- [14:50]
B
Yeah, I mean we're just seeing this, this interesting trend play out with creators and it's definitely multifactorial but like, I think as creators are kind of like modern day celebrities for, for, for a lot of people, but definitely for Gen Z. And so I think it makes sense that yeah, they're not just going to live in social media. Of course they're going to host live events, of course they're gonna host exclusive dinner parties, of course they're gonna have shows on streaming like it. It's kind of a natural evolution of this sector. And I also think when we look at Gen Z in particular, they are growing up, as I said, a lot of them, they are getting older, they might have more money to spend, they have more freedom. Not as many of them are living in their parents house anymore. So they might love the idea of going to like one of their favorite podcasters, live events happening in the city they live in or whatever it might look like. So we're certainly seeing like this kind of itch from them to not just follow these people within their phones and really kind of meet them out in real life. And that's just definitely a big trend that's playing out right now.
- [15:43]
C
Yeah, and I would say that they are a new celebrity, but they're also a new kind of celebrity. Whereas like old A listers and movie stars were kind of built on a mystique and like some sort of like an elusiveness to them. Whereas modern day influencers and creators, like, there's an expectation that they're going to interact with you, whether that's through polls, whether that's through like AMAs, like they want that, they want to carry that over.
- [16:06]
B
And, and to your point, there's so much, there's so many more of them. Yeah, like there's only a certain amount of celebrities that become a list. With creators, there's tons and some of them are really small, they only have a few thousand followers, but they have a really niche following. It might be geographic, it might be whatever, but like. Yeah, but there's an expectation that like, yeah, you are going to make yourself available whether it's through social media or in real life.
- [16:27]
A
Yeah. This idea of modern day celebrities I really like and it speaks exactly to what you have in the piece mind. Over half, 52% of Gen Z is feeling a stronger connection to social media creators than TV personalities or actors. And this one floored me even more than that. You say whilst 56% believe social content is more relevant to them than TV or movies, according to a Deloitte survey. But you say 42% of Gen Z is feeling a stronger connection to social media creators than TV personalities or actors. But 43% of millennials feel the same stronger connection to social media creators than TV personalities or actors. And 26% of Gen X as well are feeling a strong connection to those social media folks. So it does span generations, which I thought was fascinating. Where are they interacting with them outside of social media the most? Is there any, any trends going on in terms of where those creators are stepping outside of social media and hanging out with their fans?
- [17:25]
B
Yeah, I think it depends. I do think some of them are actually just like hosting in real life events, as I said. Especially the ones that might have smaller following or they might be able to. Yeah, like the example I used before is podcasts. Like I feel like so many of the podcasters I listen to, they're always like having these like little live shows at different cities. So that's one way they're doing it, like just actually in real life. But yeah, they're. They're also starting their own shows on streaming services, which kind of speaks to the blurred lines of it all.
- [17:50]
C
Yes, I think hosting their own shows and I think it's also important to say that, like, they have to be hosting something that's also on brand for them. Like, there's an intersection of it. Right. Like, there's. There's a couple of shows that they throw, like, pride parties. Right. And it's specific for. They're very much like, when the show is happening, it's a man on the street sort of format. And then they pivot that. Pivoted that brand into, like, something that they know their audience would love. Right. So it has to be specific and targeted.
- [18:18]
B
Yes.
- [18:19]
C
You can't just take a random creator out of nowhere and, like, apply that.
- [18:22]
B
Yeah, for sure. It takes a lot of legwork. Yes.
- [18:24]
A
Yeah, yeah. That's an important take. Paola, I'll start with you for this last question. What should marketers be doing about all of this? What's one take, one piece, one takeaway, one piece of advice for them with regards to how Gen Z are using social media and kind of what they expect from the experience at this point.
- [18:43]
C
Right. So I think, as I said, as I was just saying, definitely find influencers and creators that match what your vibe is or what your style is. Like, one of the best ones I've seen recently. There are. There's a small group of creators known as the Yard Sale Girls. They're all comedians, they do sketches, they've been taking on branded sponsorships, and they'll do maneuver the brand in a seamless way organically into their content, where it feels really subtle but also super interesting and very, very like. It's still very entertaining. Right. So find a brand that matches. I think they specifically were doing one for Nuuly. And so the whole sketch revolved around, like, finding a dress for a wedding. And so it was still their style of humor. It was still very. It still felt like it was part of the, like, a regular feed, but it created brand recognition. I think the other option, too, or the other thing that people need to be, is that they need to bridge the gap between social media and live events. And that doesn't mean just like bringing an influencer to host your event. And it means, like, maybe you have them in the crowd, like, doing interviews, or maybe you have them, like, part as part of a giveaway. Like, incorporate them in a way that's kind of seamless without detracting from whatever the main purpose is.
- [19:52]
A
Yeah. Minda, how about for you?
- [19:53]
B
One thing I will say, and I touched on this in my report, is consider creating, like, more episodic or series, like, content for your social Feeds, whether it's in partnership with creators or just, just your brand. And you know, it kind of goes back to this idea of like creators are Gen Z's modern day celebrities and social media is kind of becoming like their, their tv. So and we're really seeing this rise of like series, like content on social feeds. What just watching it in a more episodic fashion. And so a lot of brands and creators are thinking about social in that way. And it's not so much about just one off posts and one off videos. It's more about like how can we kind of unite around certain themes or you know, some sort of regularity even. And so yeah, that's advice I would give.
- [20:34]
A
Yeah. For folks who aren't watching. Paolo agrees.
- [20:38]
C
Yeah, I mean I think whatever, whatever you used to consider like hiring a celebrity for like an old fashioned like actor, actress for hire, an influencer. Like I think that's essentially the new rule of thumb for this.
- [20:50]
A
Yeah, excellent. Well, Mina's full report is called Gen Z social media usage 2025. Social media's most engaged generation also wants a life outside of it. There is a conveniently placed link in the show notes or head to eMarketer.com if you want. Sorry, not if you want. Well, if you want it, then you're a pro plus subscriber. If you're not a pro plus subscriber, the hell are you doing with your life? Get it sorted. That's what we have time for today. Thank you so much to my guests. Thank you. First to Minda.
- [21:17]
B
Yeah, thank you.
- [21:18]
A
And to Paola.
- [21:19]
C
Thank you both. This was really fun.
- [21:20]
A
Yes, indeed. And thank you to the whole editing crew, as always, and to everyone for listening to behind the Numbers, new marketer video podcast made possible by Fetch Rewards. We'll be back on Monday, of course, happiest of weekends.