34% of Generation Z Social Media Users Have Quit Social Media Entirely

64% Have Taken a Break from One or More Platforms
New Study Reveals Surprising Implications for Marketers

BOSTON--()--Hill Holliday’s independent consumer and business insights research group, ORIGIN, has released a compelling new study about Generation Z and its attitudes and behaviors surrounding social media. Among the most significant findings: 34% of Generation Z social media users have quit one or more platforms entirely, while a full 64% have taken at least a temporary break.

The full research report is available as a free download here.

Born in 1994 and later, Generation Z is expected to account for 40% of consumers by 2020, and is the first true generation of “social natives.” The group has often been the subject of study surrounding their “always-on” media consumption, but less has been written about the impact that social media has on Generation Z’s emotional outlook and shopper behavior. Is it true that Generation Z is seeking relief from social media? Which platforms are growing, and waning, in popularity with them? How do they interact with brands on social media? Do paid social ads really motivate purchase behavior?

To explore these questions and the implications for marketers, ORIGIN conducted a proprietary research study to examine the social habits and attitudes of Generation Z, and the impact that social media use has on this unique group’s emotional outlook and shopper behavior.

Over 1,000 “Gen Z” consumers between the ages of 18 and 24 were surveyed across the United States, using a broad range of demographic indicators. Data was collected in December of 2017. Key findings include:

Social Media = Social Behavior IRL
·Over 50% of Gen Z social media users report that social media blurs the line between the real world and the virtual world.

The Dark Side of Social Media
·41% of Gen Z social media users say that social media makes them feel sad, anxious, or depressed.

Seeking Relief, They’re Switching Off
·64% of Gen Z social media users have taken a temporary break from one or more social media platforms.
·34% of Gen Z social media users have quit social media entirely.

Social Shopping Behavior
·65% of Gen Z social media users follow brands on social media.
·74% do so to find out about special deals, reviews, or instructional videos.
·Gen Z is 4X more likely to convert on social media than Millennials.
·Gen Z social media shoppers report that Facebook (61%) and Instagram (47%) were the most popular platforms on which to find new products.

The complete study can be found at http://genz.hhcc.com/.

About Hill Holliday

Fighting the daily share battle in the noisiest categories. It’s what we do. Hill Holliday is proud to be one of the top creative marketing agencies in the country, with over 800 employees across our network. Since 1968, we’ve built our business on winning that daily share battle for our clients in the noisiest and most competitive categories. Blending superior creative, media, and technology, we deliver game-changing ideas for industry leaders like Bank of America, Dunkin' Donuts, Planet Fitness, Tempur Sealy International, Calvin Klein, Party City, Great Wolf Lodge, Capella University, Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, Smuckers, and White Wave. For more about our people, our work, and our culture, please visit http://www.hhcc.com.

About ORIGIN

ORIGIN is Hill Holliday’s research and analytics team, specializing in strategic brand and consumer research for leading brands across the United States. We work at the intersection of brands and customer experience, with a focus on uncovering actionable insight using qualitative and quantitative research. Capabilities include shop-alongs, user-experience mapping, consumer segmentation, prospect customer profiling, and campaign performance testing. Our team has deep bench-strength and is made up of individuals with uniquely valuable backgrounds, including economics, statistics, math, and engineering. Whether you want to talk about your biggest challenges or uncover opportunities to break away from the noise in your category, we’d love to hear from you at Kenneth.Faro@hhcc.com.

Contacts

Hill Holliday
Tracy Brady, 617-366-4099
tracy.brady@hhcc.com

Release Summary

According to a new study from Hill Holliday / ORIGIN, 34% of Generation Z social media users have quit social media entirely.

Contacts

Hill Holliday
Tracy Brady, 617-366-4099
tracy.brady@hhcc.com