Evaluating social usage growth by age instead of by generation shows a very different pattern. This year, there will be just 1.1% growth among teens ages 12 to 17, reaching 18.4 million users, and 0.3% growth among 18- to 24-year-olds, reaching 27.9 million users. While Gen Z grows, this year will mark the first-ever decline in the number of Gen X users.
For most social platforms, the amount of time spent by new users is lower than that of established users. TikTok has had a different path so far; its new users have been as engaged—or even more so—than long-standing users. However, we think the continued growth in new users will start to bring down the average time spent this year.