The news: A recent YouGov study highlighted shifting media consumption habits—and Gen Z is leading the way.

Among the key findings:

• Half of Gen Zers make purchases based on social media ads compared with 41% of overall consumers.
• Gen Z is one of the leaders in time spent with social media, with 28% spending at least 5 hours on social platforms on the average weekday, only slightly behind Baby Boomers (29%). But Gen Z does lead time spent on weekends, with 31% committing over 5 hours.
• Gen Z and millennials lead in usage for top social platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. These generations are also most likely to use social media while simultaneously consuming other media content.

Why reaching Gen Z matters: Identifying Gen Z’s social habits and following this audience where they engage is critical for brands looking for sustained momentum.