Brands
Report: What to Know About Gen Z’s Engagement with Social Media, Entertainment and Technology
Report summary
Gen Z’s purchasing power is growing, and they’re inspired by social media, entertainment and tech.
Gen Z’s ability to dictate cultural trends and reshape consumer behavior is only increasing. To help brands better understand this generation’s digital behaviors, we’ve curated data on how Gen Zers are using social media, where they learn about new things, their thoughts on generative AI and whether they’ll continue to be a headache for sports executives.
We surveyed 1,002 Gen Z respondents between the ages of 13 and 26, seeking their opinions on four major topics: social media, entertainment, generative AI and sports.
Key Takeaways
- Gen Z social media use remains very high: It’s also entertainment-centric, with review videos most effectively capturing their attention.
- Their video preferences differ from older cohorts’: Similarly high shares of Gen Zers reported monthly use of Disney+, Prime Video and Hulu. This young cohort also strongly prefers learning through videos rather than articles.
- They’re early AI adopters: More than half of Gen Zers reported using a generative AI tool in the past month — and despite barriers to entry, Gen Zers find these tools fun, helpful and easy to use.
- Gen Z sports viewership still lags, but there’s reason for optimism: While Gen Z is less interested in live sports than older generations, some leagues (and athletes) are resonating especially well with them.
Data Downloads
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Methodology
Morning Consult Research Intelligence data featured in this report draws from one survey fielded Oct. 16-19, 2023, among a representative sample of 2,207 U.S. adults, with an unweighted margin of error of +/-2 percentage points, and another fielded Oct. 16-29, 2023, among a representative sample of 1,002 Gen Zers between the ages of 13 and 26, with an unweighted margin of error of +/-3 percentage points.
Additional data comes from a survey conducted Nov. 2-8, 2022, among a representative sample of 1,000 Gen Zers between the ages of 13 and 25, with an unweighted margin of error of +/-3 percentage points.
All survey interviews were conducted online, and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults and a target sample of Gen Zers ages 13-26 based on age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment and region.
About the authors
Amy He leads Industry Analysis at Morning Consult. Prior to joining Morning Consult, Amy served as the executive editor at eMarketer, and was a China reporter for many years. She graduated from New York University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and East Asian studies. For speaking opportunities and booking requests, please email [email protected].
Wesley Case is a research editor on the Industry Intelligence team, focusing on coverage of entertainment, brands and sports. Prior to joining Morning Consult, he was an editor at The Athletic and a features reporter and critic at The Baltimore Sun. Wesley graduated from the University of Delaware with a bachelor’s degree in English and a concentration in journalism.
Ellyn Briggs is a brands analyst on the Industry Intelligence team, where she conducts research, authors analyst notes and advises brand and marketing leaders on how to apply insights to make better business decisions. Prior to joining Morning Consult, Ellyn worked as a market researcher and brand strategist in both agency and in-house settings. She graduated from American University with a bachelor’s degree in finance. For speaking opportunities and booking requests, please email [email protected].
Mark J. Burns previously worked at Morning Consult as a sports analyst.
Jordan Marlatt previously worked at Morning Consult as a lead tech analyst.
Kevin Tran previously worked at Morning Consult as the senior media & entertainment analyst.
