For Gen Z more so than Millennials, TikTok enhances socializing by creating opportunities for group activities like dance challenges and trends. It is almost like an extension of themselves, a virtual personality, a platform for self-expression, and a creative outlet.
Wrapping up the story, TikTok caters to Gen Z in many ways. It makes them feel comfortable and secure. It gives them all the dopamine they'll need. And it gives it to them free of charge.
Community: TikTok provides a sense of community for Gen Z. They can discover new content, new creators, and new trends, and they can connect with other users who share their interests and passions.
Gen Z – 60% of TikTok users are Gen Zers. Gen Zers are trendsetters. Next year, 74 million people in the U.S. will be part of “Gen Z”, which will make it the largest generation of all. Revenue – TikTok is estimated to pull in $500 Million in revenue from the U.S. alone in 2020 (source).
TikTok is the crowned 'king' of social media for under 25s. When it comes to time spent on the platform, Gen Z is spending, on average, 107 minutes per day, ahead of YouTube, Instagram and Twitch. The only virtual platform that outranks TikTok is Roblox, where Gen Z is spending up to 180 minutes per day on average.
The largest proportion (25%) of US TikTok users are 10 to 19 years of age. In fact, 47.4% of TikTok users are under 30. The share of TikTok users decreases in size as age groups advance. Perhaps unsurprisingly, those aged 50+ make up the smallest share of TikTok users at just 11%.
TikTok has emerged as a powerful force in shaping Gen Z's shopping habits. From influencer marketing and viral product trends to transparent brand values and a seamless shopping experience, TikTok has revolutionised how Gen Z interacts with brands and makes purchasing decisions.
TikTok experienced notable success in the last few years, becoming one of the most widely used social media platforms globally. However, despite that TikTok is undoubtedly the coolest kid on the block, with 2023 kicking in, the platform registered signs of an engagement decrease.
If you're looking to make it big with social media marketing, it's important to understand that different generations have different preferences. With the Gen Z crowd, it's all about entertainment, human connection, and exciting new trends.
According to Morning Consult's report, YouTube is the most-used platform for Gen Z — with over 80% spending their time on the app: Coming in at the number two spot is Instagram at 75% — hinting that the platform isn't “over.” And TikTok (69%) and Snapchat (63%) aren't too far behind either.
“Gen Z is expressing themselves through style because it's a way to imagine a different world than we have right now,” he said. “You can tell a story about yourself and what you care about, and I think that's even more important now that you have to create an image for yourself on social media.”
Gen Z's particular interest in nostalgia tells us something: they're not sure about their online lives, and are looking for a better version of what we had before.
Feeling like they are constantly connected and able to continually communicate is a core driver for why Gen Zs are on social media. The ease by which they can stay in touch with their broad network means they can maintain a breadth of connection with their peers, regardless of geographic proximity.
For example, Generation Z (born between 1996 and 2010) is 21 percent more likely than Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) to stay up at night due to current events frequently or all of the time. They're also 26 percent more likely to be kept up by prolonged technology use compared to Millennials.
Additionally, many adolescents attempt to compensate for weekday sleep deficits by oversleeping on weekends. The constant use of electronic devices, irregular sleep schedules, academic pressure, and heightened social media usage are among the leading causes of sleep deprivation in this generation.
But, watching TikToks to fall asleep can have adverse effects on your sleep, he explains. “Smartphones emit blue light, which can interfere with your body's production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep,” Sultan said. “This can disrupt your circadian rhythm, making it harder to fall asleep.”
Not only is the app Gen Z-dominated, with 43% of global users aged 18-24, but young consumers also prefer TikTok to such an extent that it's begun to rival Google as a search engine. Why? Gen Z trusts TikTok to give them the unbiased gist of what they're looking for.
Rather than seek out the guidance of print magazines or established designers, an approach that may be more often afforded to people with disposable income, Gen Z's decorating style is colored by a do-it-yourself ethos, characterized by bold colors, playful patterns (like checkerboard or wiggles), and other aesthetic ...
The platform's short-form video format is perfect for bite-sized, easily consumable content that can be enjoyed in a matter of seconds. Additionally, TikTok's content is often humorous and relatable, making it appealing to a wide range of users.
As of January 2024, the United States was the country with the largest TikTok audience by far, with almost 150 million users engaging with the popular social video platform. Indonesia followed, with around 126 million TikTok users. Brazil came in third, with almost 99 million users on TikTok watching short-videos.
On March 17, 2023, the FBI and US Justice Department officially launched an investigation of TikTok, including allegations that the company spied on American journalists. On January 25, 2023, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley introduced a bill to ban the platform nationwide.
If there's one thing this generation loves to do, it's game. It's a hugely popular pastime for this group, particularly gaming on smartphones. Almost 9 in 10 Gen Z game on any device. What sets Gen Z apart from other generations, is their reasons for gaming.
As seen from this graph by Hootsuite, Instagram still has the lead, with 400 million more active users than TikTok. But this is not to say one is “above” the other, I just think that it's interesting to see just how popular social media platforms are, and how they rank against each other in terms of active users.
TikTok: distribution of global audiences 2024, by age and gender. As of January 2024, it was found that 18 percent of TikTok's global audience were women between the ages of 18 and 24 years, while male users of the same age made up approximately 18.6 percent of the platform's audience.
