Key stat: 96.3% of Gen Zers are digital video viewers, compared to 80.5% of the overall US population, per our May 2025 forecast.

Beyond the chart:

• YouTube is the biggest digital video platform in the US by subscribers, meaning marketers wanting to reach Gen Z—or the greater population—should be using the platform.
• Using social media is Gen Z’s No.2 favorite digital activity. The population is most likely to be on Instagram, followed by TikTok.

Use this chart: Marketers can use this chart to make the case for leaning into video, social, and gaming to reach Gen Z. Retailers can use Gen Z’s high digital buying penetration to make the case for better shopping UX. And media planners can use it to determine investments in channels like podcasting and VR.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• US OTT, Pay TV, and YouTube Viewers Forecast 2025 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• Gen Z Technology and Media Preferences 2025 (EMARKETER subscription required)

Note: Social networks are sites where the primary activities involve creating a profile and interacting with a network of contacts by sharing status updates, comments, photos, or other content. Internet users are individuals of any age who use the internet from any location via any device at least once per month. Podcasts are audio-first serialized episodes that can be accessed via digital streams or downloaded. Podcast listeners include those who listen to podcasts via video platforms such as YouTube. A voice assistant is intelligent software that responds to voice command and runs on various devices, including smartphones, speakers, desktop/laptop computers, tablets, smart wearables, game consoles, TV consoles, VR headsets, cars, and internet of things (IoT) devices. Examples include Amazon's Alexa, Apple’s Siri, Google Assistant, Microsoft’s Cortana, and Samsung’s Bixby. VR immerses a user in a nonfixed, 360-degree visual environment. Users interface with different types of multimedia content via connected TVs, desktop/laptop computers, mobile devices, or headsets. Examples of VR include photos and videos (e.g., Google Earth VR), immersive games (e.g., Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Meta Horizon Worlds), and virtual simulations (e.g., product demos, virtual showrooms). Examples of VR headsets include Apple Vision Pro, AuraVisor, HP Reverb, HTC Flow, HTC Vive, Meta Quest, and PlayStation VR.

Methodology: Estimates are based on the analysis of survey and web traffic data from research firms and regulatory agencies, sales projections, historical trends, company-specific data, and demographic and socioeconomic factors.