Which social networks ranked highest among Gen Y and Z in 2022?

The YPulse Social Media Monitor report shows differences in app usage between Generations Z and Y. (Envato Elements pic)

PARIS:

Social platforms have continued to pull out all the stops to capture the interest of young users. As the world heads into 2023, it’s time to take stock of which have taken the lead in this year’s popularity stakes.

With more features, more ways to earn money, and even more freedom, some platforms have managed to attract more new users compared with last year. So reports a study from YPulse, conducted among 1,500 users aged 13 to 39 in the United States and Canada.

The findings reveal that while Generations Z and Y use the various platforms for specific purposes, they are most likely to use YouTube: the video-streaming site remained the most popular for young people, at 72%, despite a slight drop from 74% last year.

In the face of repeated scandals and controversy, Meta managed to hold its own with two of its social networks in the top three. Facebook and Instagram, respectively second and third in the ranking, also showed a decline in usage among Generations Y and Z – just like Facebook Messenger, which suffered the biggest drop from 53% to 43%.

WhatsApp, another platform belonging to Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta group, came in ninth place with only 26% of respondents saying they use this application.

Despite being placed at the bottom of the ranking, it is among the six platforms that have seen an increase in usage among those surveyed within one year. The platform gained 10% compared with 2021 – a feat Reddit also managed, going from 17% to 27% in usage among young people.

With more features, more ways to earn money, and even more freedom, some social media platforms have managed to attract more new users compared with last year.

On closer inspection, the YPulse Social Media Monitor report shows differences between Generations Z and Y. Millennials are more likely to use Facebook, at 69% compared with 37% for Gen Zers.

On the other hand, TikTok is a must-have for 69% of the younger generation, versus 49% for their elders. The success of WhatsApp and Reddit is mostly driven by millennials, while Discord is more popular with Gen Z.

For its part, TikTok continues to impose itself among the favourite platforms of the young generation, but it has seen its growth slow significantly this year, reaching 55% usage in November compared with 48% a year earlier.

Here are the top social platforms young people are using:

1. YouTube

November 2021: 74%
November 2022: 72%

2. Facebook

November 2021: 65%
November 2022: 59%

3. Instagram

November 2021: 61%
November 2022: 57%

4. TikTok

November 2021: 48%
November 2022: 55%

5. Snapchat

November 2021: 47%
November 2022: 48%

6. Facebook Messenger