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Born between 1997 and 2012, Generation Z is the first digitally-native demographic. Their digital habits, spending power, and values are setting trends for future generations. Gen Z's spending is projected to grow from $2.7 trillion in 2024 to $12.6 trillion globally by 2030, per Bank of America, making them a critical audience for marketers.
Gen Z is the first generation with no memory of life before smartphones. Their digital immersion shapes how they learn, shop, and communicate.
Gen Zers spend an average of 6.9 hours daily with media and entertainment content, according to Deloitte's 2025 Digital Media Trends report. Of this time, 1.4 hours go to social media and 1.3 hours to streaming video. 89% are second-screen users, consuming multiple media simultaneously. Unlike previous generations who adapted to technology, Gen Z treats seamless digital integration as the baseline, making no distinction between online and offline experiences.
Gen Z gravitates toward digital video over traditional television. Nearly all Gen Zers (96.3%) are digital video viewers, compared with 80.5% of the general population. They prefer:
This generation’s attention must be earned quickly. Old models of interruption advertising fall flat when users can scroll past within seconds.
Social platforms serve as Gen Z’s primary hubs for information, discovery, and commerce. Ninety percent of Gen Zers are social media users, per EMARKETER. Platform preferences reveal distinct patterns:
Time spent on TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook among adults under 25 declined from 2022 to 2025. , while Instagram time has increased by 10 minutes.
Gen Z approaches shopping cautiously, researching extensively before purchasing. Their path to purchase blends digital and physical touchpoints:
Gen Z digital buyers are projected to grow from 83.3% in 2025 to 90.3% by 2029, faster than any other generation.
Gen Z is the first mobile payments-native generation. Eighty-five percent use their phones for in-store or online purchases, per the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. Their payment preferences include:
Financial strain is real: Gen Z is spending nearly twice as much as they have in savings, and the share living paycheck to paycheck rose from 57% in January 2023 to 69% in January 2025, according to a PYMNTS Intelligence report. Gen Z is concerned about their financial futures and will favor brands that recognize that strain.
Gen Z demands more from brands than affordability. They expect companies to take genuine positions on social issues. Gen Zers in the US want brands to support mental health more than any other cause, cited by 53%, per ICSC and Big Village. Environmental causes and racial/gender equity tied for second at 47%.
Their expectations come with consequences: Forty percent of Gen Z has stopped purchasing from brands that reversed DEI efforts, per an Ad Age-Harris Poll.
While Gen Z is known for its commitment to social issues, their beliefs are not a monolith. Just as many US teens feel strongly about LGBTQ+ rights as they do men’s rights (16%), according to a July Attest survey.
Gen Z leads AI adoption. Sixty percent of Gen Zers ages 18-28 have used ChatGPT at least once, compared with 40% of the total population, per Tinuiti. Among teens, 64% use AI chatbots, with 30% using them daily, per Pew Research Center.
For these users, ChatGPT leads at 59%, followed by Google Gemini (23%) and Meta AI (20%). Gen Z is more open to AI than any other generation, but remains wary about its role in the creative process, seeing it as a productivity tool rather than a creative replacement.
Gen Z uses AI more than every other generation, and their top use case is searching for information (74%), according to a July Associated Press survey. For marketers, this shift has implications:
Here is a breakdown of major generational groups:
Reaching Gen Z requires approaches different from those that worked for previous generations:
We prepared this article with the assistance of generative AI tools and stand behind its accuracy, quality, and originality.
EMARKETER forecast data was current at publication and may have changed. EMARKETER Pro+ clients have access to up-to-date forecast data. To explore EMARKETER solutions, click here.
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