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EMARKETER

Gen Z Technology and Media Preferences 2025

All Roads Lead Back to Social Media

Report by Paola Flores-Marquez  |  Jun 2, 2025
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Gen Zers expect seamless interplay between their digital and physical worlds
Streaming video, social media, and online shopping are Gen Z’s leading digital habits
Gen Z also overindexes on podcast, digital gaming, and VR adoption
Recommendations for brands and media platforms
Sources
Media Gallery
About This Report
Gen Zers continue to overtake millennials in several prominent digital activities and platforms, including social commerce, podcasts, and Instagram.
Topics
Generation Z
Social Media Users
Digital Video
United States
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Gen Zers expect seamless interplay between their digital and physical worlds
Streaming video, social media, and online shopping are Gen Z’s leading digital habits
Gen Z also overindexes on podcast, digital gaming, and VR adoption
Recommendations for brands and media platforms
Sources
Media Gallery

As the youngest Gen Zers enter their teens and the oldest approach their 30s, it’s clear that their predominant digital habits (digital video, social media, digital buying) will be hallmarks for future digitally native generations.

Key Question: How should brands and agencies develop their media strategies to reach Gen Zers as their technological and media preferences mature?

Gen Z Participates in Major and Emerging Digital Activities More Than the Total Population
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Key Stat: Gen Zers overindex in all of the leading digital activities we track when compared with the total population, with social media holding the largest margin of 19.7 percentage points.

This report can help you:

  • Develop media strategy and allocate budget for campaigns (brands and agencies)
  • Develop go-to-market strategy (media platforms)

Here’s what’s in the full report

2files

Exportable files for easy reading, analysis and sharing.

11charts

Reliable data in simple displays for presentations and quick decision making.

Table of Contents

  1. Executive Summary
  2. Gen Zers expect seamless interplay between their digital and physical worlds
  3. Streaming video, social media, and online shopping are Gen Z’s leading digital habits
  1. Gen Z also overindexes on podcast, digital gaming, and VR adoption
  2. Recommendations for brands and media platforms
  3. Sources
  1. Media Gallery

Charts in This Report

Gen Z Participates in Major and Emerging Digital Activities More Than the Total PopulationInstagram Is Gen Z's Second-Favorite Platform for Vertical Videos (% of US Gen Z consumers, Dec 2024)
Teens Have Seen the Highest YouTube Penetration of Any Age Group for Nearly a Decade (YouTube viewer % of US population, by age, 2017-2025)Gen Zers Spend the Majority of Their Media Time on Social Media and Streaming
Gen Zers Are Most Likely to Feel a Closer Connection to Creators Than to TV Personalities (% of US consumers who feel a stronger personal connection to social media creators than to TV personalities/actors, by generation, Oct 2024)Instagram's Lead Over TikTok Is Sizable Among the General Population but Narrow Among Gen Z
The Time Spent Gap Between TikTok and Instagram Is Narrowing Among Young AdultsGen Z Will Be the Primary Driver of Digital Buyer Growth
Almost Three-Quarters of Gen Zers Will Be Digital Gamers by 2027 (US digital gamers % of population, by generation, 2019-2027)Almost One-Third of Discord's US Site Visitors Are Young Adults Under 25
Gen Zers Will Exceed Millennials in VR Adoption in the US by 2026 (millions of US Gen Z vs. millennial VR users, 2023-2029)

authors

Paola Flores-Marquez

Contributors

Delfina Huergo Bensadon
Nicolas Crespo
Suzy Davidkhanian
VP, Content
Vladimir de Leon
Chart Editor
Nikolai Dineros
Zach Goldner
Senior Forecasting Analyst
Penelope Lin
Director, Data Visualization
Jennifer Pearson
VP, Research
Carina Perkins
Natalia Ramirez
Heather Sprung
Senior Editor
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