June 10, 2025
Social Media Use by Generation: 2025 Trends & Statistics
Social media is woven into the fabric of nearly everyone’s lives, from a source of social connection to a vital news feed or even efficient way to shop, search, and organize events. However, each generation approaches social media a little differently– and many, especially younger Americans, are trying to log off.
We wanted to know how each generation is using social media, as well as what platforms came out on top in terms of use, spend, and generational share; to do this, we surveyed nearly 1,000 Americans nationwide on their social media habits.
Facebook Reigns Supreme, But 2 in 5 Americans are Reducing Social Media Time
How many Americans use social media? Nearly all– 99% of respondents.
When we asked how they prefer engaging with social media– posting, interacting, or simply scrolling on by– half indicated a preference for some engagement, while 43% showed a strong preference for merely consuming social media with no intention of posting or liking, commenting, etc. Only about 7% said they prefer posting: truly a consumer economy.
We included a superlative section in our survey, asking Americans their favorite platform, the platform they spend the most time on, and where they shop the most. Here’s how it broke down:
- Favorite Overall Social Media: Facebook & TikTok (tied)
- Most time spent: Facebook
- The most shopping: Facebook Marketplace
How Social Media Use is Changing: 41% Cutting Back in 2025
While most Americans use social media in some capacity, many are rethinking their relationship with these apps. Over 2 in 5 (41%) are reducing their social media use this year, and 16% have quit at least 1 app so far, with TikTok, X/Twitter, and Facebook/Instagram as the most popular apps to quit. Roughly a quarter of those who quit an app did so to begin using another one( app migration).
One helpful way to reduce social media use is using a screentime app or blocker to manage access to apps for lengths of time and roughly 1 in 4 Americans use one to help manage their time.
Among the 1% off social media entirely, none feel like they’re missing out.
Top Ways to Reach Americans Off Social Media
- Newsletters
- Flyers/Out-of-Home Advertising
Social Media and Community Building
A major trend in social media use is more engagement on community-based forums and apps like Reddit, Discord, and Substack. Pinterest, which has a large sharing component, is also quite popular.
Two thirds of Americans use Reddit in some capacity, with their chief goal being to find like-minded people and/or groups. Another secondary use for Reddit is product reviews; 17% of Boomers turn to Reddit first (even before Google!) for product reviews.
Pinterest, meanwhile, has experienced a renaissance among Gen Zers, with 54% on the platform compared to 43% of Americans overall. While 1 in 5 Millennials use Pinterest primarily to track trends, Gen Zers take things further and prefer the platform to Google for finding recipes.
Two recent social media platforms are Discord, a series of chat servers that are often invite-only, and Substack, a platform primarily for writers with a subscription component. 40% of Americans use Discord, with nearly 1 in 5 (18%) paying for access to at least one server. Discord is popular with the younger generations as50% of Gen Z use Discord.
Just over 1 in 5 Americans are on Substack, and 26% of them pay for at least one subscription.
The Rise of Social Media Search
Another notable trend we uncovered is the increasing use of social media as a search alternative; while Google still retains a majority share of searchers, certain platforms are gaining a higher stake. This can provide a variety of ways to reach customer base across channels, as well.
How Americans Find Product Reviews:
- While 60% turn to Google, over 1 in 10 Gen Zers and Millennials prefer Reddit instead.
- Only half of Gen Zers prefer Google for product reviews, instead turning to a variety of other sources first.
- 10% of Boomers consult YouTube before Google for reviews
Finding a Specific Product:
- 48% turn to Google first
- 1 in 3 Boomers jump straight to a commerce website such as Amazon to find a product
- 1 in 10 Gen Zers use TikTok to find products first
Nearly 1 in 3 (28%) of Gen Zers use TikTok over Google to find recipes.
Facebook and TikTok Usage Habits by Generation
Facebook was one of the first social media platforms still around in today’s internet, and it still boasts the lion’s share of users: 86% of Americans are on Facebook, including:
- 87% of Boomers
- 82% of Gen X
- 87% of Millennials
- 90% of Gen Z
Users spend an average of 2 hours daily on Facebook, with Gen Z and Millennials tied for the most time at 2 hours and 12 minutes spent daily compared to Boomers, who spend just over 90 minutes on the platform.
While Facebook was conceived originally for social connection on college campuses, 1 in 10 use it today to learn the news, which can pose a risk as the platform doesn’t always quash misinformation.
Shoppers love to spend time on Facebook Marketplace, which mimics many aspects of older site Craigslist, but within the Facebook environment, and it pays: users spent an average of $133 on Facebook Marketplace in the last month.
TikTok Usage Trends by Generation
TikTok is a platform for the youth: while 56% of Americans overall use TikTok, 79% of Gen Z and 58% of Millennials use the platform, compared to 45% of Gen Xers and a mere 1 in 3 Boomers.
TikTok does, however, take up a lot of time: an average of 2 hours, 36 minutes daily.
- Boomers: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Gen X: 2 hours 12 minutes
- Millennials: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Gen Z: 3 hours
Unsurprisingly, Gen Z indicated that they spend the most time on TikTok than any other social platform.
TikTok Shop, while a recent addition to the platform, has exploded in popularity, and remains a steady source of business: Americans spent an average of $40 in the last month on TikTok Shop, with Millennials spending the most at an average of $50, and Boomers spending next to nothing at an average of $1.
Over 1 in 3 Americans use TikTok primarily to keep up with trends, which makes sense, as the platform’s youth appeal and high scrolltime make it a breeding ground for new trends and influencers. Another popular use is that of memes and humor– nearly 1 in 5 Gen Zers use the platform for this purpose.
Usage Statistics: Instagram and X/Twitter
Instagram remains the most popular social media platform in the U.S., with 79% of Americans actively using it. Usage is especially high among younger generations:
- Gen Z: 89%
- Millennials: 81%
- Gen X: 74%
- Boomers: 57%
On average, Americans spend 1.9 hours per day on Instagram. That number climbs to 2 hours and 18 minutes for Gen Z, while Boomers clock in at 1 hour and 36 minutes.
Instagram’s versatility shows in user behavior:
- Nearly 1 in 3 use it to stay connected with friends and family.
- 26% of Gen Z turn to Instagram to track emerging trends.
- 11% primarily browse memes.
These figures reflect Instagram’s evolving role as both a social network and a cultural pulse point.
X/Twitter: A Go-To News Source, Especially for Gen Z
While not as widely used as Instagram, X (Twitter) still attracts 62% of Americans, with Gen Z leading the charge:
- Gen Z: 73%
- Millennials: 63%
- Gen X: 56%
- Boomers: 51%
Daily time spent on the platform averages 1 hour and 12 minutes, with Gen Z again outpacing others at 1 hour and 36 minutes.
News consumption drives much of X’s engagement:
- 37% of users cite news as their primary reason for logging on.
This positions X as a key destination for real-time updates and commentary, especially among younger, news-hungry audiences.
Methodology & Fair Use
In May 2025, we surveyed 994 Americans nationwide on their search and social media usage habits. 50% were men, 49% women, and 1% nonbinary. Ages ranged from 18-75 with an average age of 41.
For media inquiries, please contact media@digitalthirdcoast.net
Fair use
When using this data and research, please attribute by linking to this study and citing PartnerCentric.com.
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