Social media has become an essential part of daily life. People use these platforms to share opinions, register protests against issues they disagree with, search for jobs, market products, promote brands, watch the news, and pursue educational opportunities. Many also create and share content, with the potential to earn significant money based on the traction their posts receive.
Gen Z’s Favorite Social Media Platforms
The term “Gen Z” is commonly used to describe the demographic cohort born from the late 1990s to the early 2010s.
According to data from the Pew Research Center released in 2023, YouTube leads the pack among social media platforms for Gen Z, followed by Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, Pinterest, Reddit, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, WhatsApp, and BeReal.
Here’s a breakdown of social media usage among US adults aged 18-29:
YouTube: 93%Instagram: 78%Facebook: 67%Snapchat: 65%TikTok: 62%Pinterest: 45%Reddit: 44%X / Twitter: 42%LinkedIn: 32%WhatsApp: 32%BeReal: 12%
How Americans Access News on TikTok, X, Facebook, and Instagram
Social media plays a significant role in how Americans consume news, with half of US adults reporting that they occasionally get news from these platforms. However, the experience of encountering news varies greatly across different platforms. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, how Americans engage with news on TikTok, X, Facebook, and Instagram shows considerable differences.
On Facebook and Instagram, news is often sourced from friends, family, and acquaintances, whereas TikTok users are more likely to encounter news from influencers or unfamiliar sources. X stands out for having a higher prevalence of news from media outlets and journalists compared to the other platforms. Despite the diversity in news sources, a significant number of users across all platforms report encountering news that seems inaccurate, with approximately a quarter or more on each site noting that they frequently or very frequently come across misleading information.
