Social Media Usage Among Generations Z & Y

Which social network is currently the most-used in North America? This is useful for marketers who wish to target Generations Z and Y there!

A study by YPulse* looked at social media usage among Generation Z and Millennials, and how this usage has changed in 2021. And the results of the two rankings might not be what you expect! 

Among Gen Zers, YouTube still leads the way. 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/Canadians 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. 

But Generation Z remain addicted to Instagram, with a usage rate of 67 percent, up from 62 percent a year earlier. 

TikTok is the only social network to show significant growth, with 64 percent of young Americans/Canadians using the Chinese platform, compared to 45 percent in 2020. 

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 percent in 2021 compared to 30 percent in 2020. 

Facebook remains top of the list for Millennials, with usage at 75 percent in 2021 versus 76 percent in 2020 for Mark Zuckerberg’s platform. 

It is followed by YouTube and Instagram, with little change year over year. 

*According to a survey of 1,450 13–39year-olds in the US and Canada, in October 2021.