Senate ramps up social media regulation for teens: Two landmark bills that require more protections for minors will move to the House.

The Surgeon General’s plan to protect kids, backed by state attorneys general, could change how platforms and advertisers engage users.

Gen Z’s complicated path to purchase leans heavily on digital platforms and channels. But offline resources still play a key role.

TikTok’s group messaging feature aims to capture more of Gen Z’s attention from Instagram and Snap. But TikTok will need to find a way to attract users from those platforms.

Social media platforms focus on outcomes: Executives cite pressure to deliver for advertisers as Q2 earnings reports approach.

“What will happen next?” That’s the big question marketers have following the signing of a potential TikTok ban into law, according to Liz Cole, chief social officer at VML. While marketers don’t know if parent company ByteDance will sell TikTok, shut the platform down in the US, or find a way to fend off the legislation in court, they can prepare now for what’s to come.

Snapchat has found its groove again: The company’s Q1 earnings beat expectations, with strong revenue and subscription growth.

Here’s what a TikTok-less America would look like for marketers, users, and creators, based on our latest forecasts.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss why TikTok might not actually be a social media platform, how much young people use it to search for things, and whether TikTok Shop is ruining TikTok. "In Other News," we talk about the battle between Threads and X (formerly Twitter), as well as whether Snap distancing itself from social media will work and start a trend. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Jasmine Enberg and director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman.

US political ad spending will hit new highs amid the 2024 presidential election, with connected TV (CTV) driving the biggest gains. Despite the digital shift, traditional TV—long a mainstay of political advertising—will hold its own.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the takeaway from Snap cutting staff, what to make of its current user total, and whether Snapchat+ can prove that there's a market for paid social features. Tune in to the discussion with our director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman and analyst Minda Smiley.

TikTok is taking the lead on social commerce: But Meta, Pinterest, and Snap are trying to take back the spotlight by partnering with Amazon and focusing on shoppable ads.

Despite a slowdown in smartphone sales, innovations in advertising, commerce, AI, and even device form-factors will drive mcommerce and mobile advertising growth in 2024.

Ad spending growth is tapering off, but major changes are coming to the market, including the deprecation of third-party identifiers, a new era in TV ad measurement, and growing use of AI in advertising.

OpenAI turmoil’s ripple effect on social media: The chaos could create opportunities and challenges for platforms in the red-hot genAI market.

Amazon turns to Meta, Snap partnerships to keep TikTok at bay: As the retailer moves in on social commerce, TikTok is beefing up its supply chain.

Snapchat+ growth is defying expectations: Messaging apps are historically difficult to monetize, but Snapchat+ has hit 5 million in one year.

Fewer than a third of US shoppers turn to department stores’ websites (31%) or brick-and-mortar locations (24%) when conducting beauty research, according to a May survey conducted by PowerReviews. In contrast, 71% turn to a specialty retailer’s website when researching new products.

On today's episode, we discuss why Snap's growth continues to stall, what to make of their TikTok-esque short form video feed Spotlight, and what to expect from the company in the second half. "In Other News," we check in on Pinterest and discuss the most interesting trends in social media usage by generation. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Jasmine Enberg.

With the rise of TikTok and all its copycats, there’s a lot to keep track of in terms of paid advertising. Creators frequent TikTok, Reels, Shorts, and Spotlight in some capacity, but the ad ops on each platform vary. Here’s a quick guide to what’s available on each platform.