Generation Z is losing interest in social networks

It seems that generation Z, i.e. young people born between 1997 and 2012, is fed up with the social hierarchy based on public counting of likes and the level of noise created by some kind of clickbait and clickbait. At least that's what one could conclude from a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, which shows that members of Generation Z are the only group that has seen a visible decline in the use of social media.

Only TikTok is growing

On the other hand, social media is increasingly preferred among older users, those over 50 and even over 65. 

The survey of consumer preferences published by Piper Sandler also showed that young people use social networks less and less; interest in all apps except TikTok is falling, but even this growth is not enough to compensate for the loss of interest in social networks in general.

Generation Z networks through a series of smaller apps, each serving a different function: Twitch for live streaming and gaming, Discord for private chat groups, BeReal for spontaneous updates, or Poparazzi for photos of friends. In a world where users are more concerned about online privacy and public interactions are increasingly monitored, younger users are becoming more particular about how they present themselves online, forcing the social networking giants to become far less social.

In recent years, almost all social networks have adopted the "stories" concept and most platforms offer the possibility of sharing content with only a small handful of close friends. The pandemic, researchers of economic and social trends agree, has forced members of Generation Z, young people who often share a home with their parents, to build stronger communities online.

TikTok is my Google..

It’s how I search for product recommendations, how to do things, where to go, even apartment tours!

TikTok is slowly changing into Google especially with their update that is coming soon.

I’m excited to see how this helps and benefits creators + brands. — Chelsea // UGC CREATOR ✨ (@ChelseaUGC) July 16, 2022

But unlike old-school social networks like MySpace, Friendster, or Facebook, these communities don't start with friends. They are started by people, often complete strangers, with common interests.

Escape from toxicity

Most conversations with people in the real world have moved to private messaging today, and the richest social networking takes place between creators and their communities. Apps like Discord, Geneva, and Telegram have become a place where creators feel they can best develop personalized connections with their fans, reports The Washington Post .

Many of the biggest tech companies have distanced themselves from the toxicity of social media. TikTok says it's an "entertainment platform," Snapchat calls itself a "camera company," BeReal claims it's "not another social network," and Meta is building a "metaverse."

TikTok bait

The success of TikTok has led most existing social networks to follow suit. TikTok's lure for Gen Z is its algorithm, which keeps users coming back for the content they know they like, while regularly testing new types of videos.

Generation Z likes that a lot more than the way big social networks like Facebook hoard content they know users like. Google's data shows that about 40% of members of Generation Z prefer to search for information on visual platforms other than Google, such as TikTok or Instagram.

Post by Bryan C.