Social America (2019)

Social America 2019 is a national US study exploring Gen Z and Millennial attitudes toward social media. The study asked more than 20,000 respondents between the ages of 13 and 34 a series of questions related to their perspectives on various social media platforms, with a focus on popularity, safety, relevance, growth, and perceived decline. Respondents were asked to provide their answers through multiple-choice and open-text questions, with the option to select different social media platforms.

Each participant was also asked to share their view on what they think should be done to solve the problem of cyberbullying and what their thoughts are on further government regulation of social media.

• TikTok was identified as the fastest-growing social media platform in terms of popularity by both Gen Z and Millennials
• Facebook was identified as the social media platform that was becoming less popular by both Gen Z and Millennials
• Gen Z identified Facebook as the least relevant platform for young people
• Instagram was identified as the favorite social media platform by both Gen Z and Millennials
• Gen Z identified Snapchat as the platform they felt safest using when it came to cyberbullying
• Snapchat was identified as the second-favorite social media platform for Gen Z after Instagram
• Over three-quarters of respondents indicated that they did not want governments to regulate social media companies
• Facebook was identified as the platform with the biggest cyberbullying and abuse problem by Millennials, with Gen Z identifying Instagram as the platform with the biggest problem
• Instagram was identified first and Snapchat second by both Gen Z and Millennials as the social media platforms most relevant to young people
• Facebook was recognized as the platform that Millennials felt the least safe using when it came to cyberbullying, with Gen Z identifying Instagram as the least safe

The research was conducted by Perksy on behalf of Cybersmile across all 50 states with 20,000 general respondents (aged 13–34) who were social media users between 09.09.2019 and 09.27.2019.

The Cybersmile Foundation (2019). Social America Report (2019): A 20,000-participant report offering insights into millennial and Gen Z attitudes and perspectives toward social media in the US.