The study suggests that YouTube’s popularity among Generation Z in the United States could be down to its practical, useful nature. While young Americans report spending an average of four hours a day on social media, by their own estimations, they are not only using YouTube for entertainment, but also to learn new things. The relative age of social networks like YouTube and Instagram and their influence among brands may also explain their positions in this ranking. Despite this, TikTok’s growth remains much stronger, and even leads the Chinese giant to outstrip Snapchat.
This strong growth in usage is also seen in Generation Y — the Millennials. However, while TikTok shows healthy progression, the Chinese social network only comes seventh in this particular usage ranking, with 42% in 2021 compared to 30% in 2020. Facebook remains top of the list for Millennials, with usage at 75% in 2021 versus 76% in 2020 for Mark Zuckerberg’s platform. It is followed by YouTube and Instagram, with little change year over year.
Social media usage among Generation Z and Millennials in October 2021 compared to October 2020
Generation Z (% October 2021/October 2020)
1. YouTube: 77% in 2021 / 79% in 2020
2. Instagram: 67% in 2021 / 62% in 2020
3. TikTok: 64% in 2021 / 45% in 2020
4. Snapchat: 60% in 2021 / 56% in 2020
5. Facebook: 42% in 2021 / 36% in 2020
6. Discord: 34% in 2021 / 33% in 2020
7. Twitter: 32% in 2021 / 33% in 2020
8. Facebook Messenger: 31% in 2021 / 23% in 2020
9. Pinterest: 29% in 2021/ 29% in 2020
10. Fortnite: 25% in 2021 / 13% in 2020
11. Reddit: 18% in 2021 / 18% in 2020
12. WhatsApp: 17% in 2021 / 11% in 2020
Millennials (% October 2021/October 2020)
1. Facebook: 75% in 2021 / 76% in 2020
2. YouTube: 72% in 2021 / 71% in 2020
3. Instagram: 58% in 2021 / 59% in 2020
4. Facebook Messenger: 62% in 2021 / 59% en 2020
5. Snapchat : 41% en 2021 / 42% in 2020
6. Twitter: 29% in 2021 / 36% in 2020
7. TikTok: 42% in 2021 / 30% in 2020
8. Pinterest: 23% in 2021 / 28% in 2020
9. WhatsApp: 16% in 2021 / 25% in 2020
10. Reddit: 16% in 2021 / 18% in 2020
11. Discord: 15% in 2021 / 17% in 2020
12. Fortnite: 10% in 2021 / 7% in 2020
*According to a survey of 1,450 13-39 year olds in the US and Canada, in October 2021." - https://www.affordablecebu.com/