How Different Generations Are Using Social Media in 2023

Social media has become a massive part of our lives over the last couple of decades. People of all ages and backgrounds use these platforms for entertainment and to connect with friends and family.

Users from different generations interact with social media content in different ways. If you’re a marketer or content creator, it is crucial to understand this to create content that resonates with your audience.

So let’s dive in and find out what these trends are and how you can use them to your advantage.

How different generations use social media

Image Source: Oberlo

The social media world is constantly evolving. New platforms emerge, trends evolve, and the way we connect, consume, and create content continues to transform.

Different generations prefer different platforms, they like different types of content and content formats. And they have different ways of maintaining their presence and expressing themselves on these platforms.

To understand the differences between the way generations interact with social media, it is important to understand the dynamic landscape. A deep understanding of different age groups’ engagement with social media has great implications for businesses, marketers, and creators.

Over 30% of the social media users are between the age of 27-42 which includes mostly Millenials. 

Your target demographic can influence marketing strategies, shape the content we see, and even impact our online safety and privacy.

Social media impacts all of its users. However, the results and extent of this impact vary greatly for different generations. Let’s take a look at how different generations deal with social media.

Generation Z (born 1997-2012)

Gen-Z is the first generation that has grown up with access to technology during the formative years of their lives. Most individuals who were born during this period are very comfortable using smartphones and computers. 

Platform & content preferences

Gen Zers mostly gravitate towards platforms that are visually driven like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. 

Data Source: Later.com

YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat are the most widely used social media platforms among Gen Zers. 

The generation loves short-form content that is highly engaging and can capture their attention from the get-go. As a result, creators targeting this generation mold their content to what keeps their audience engaged. 

Short content that has strong hooks and is fast-paced tends to do very well with this generation. However, long-form podcasts and conversations are also gaining a ton of popularity. 

Advocates of authenticity

Generation Z values authenticity and social activism. They are vocal about social issues and like to show their support by participating in trends and posting about causes they care about. 

They also expect brands and businesses to take a stand on social issues. For them, social media goes beyond personal expression as they like to you these platforms to champion causes they care about.

Impact on social and emotional well-being

Gen Zs are heavily involved with social media and this comes with some downsides. Excessive screen time, cyberbullying and the pressure to curate an impressive online image can have concerning effects on users.

According to the Pew Research Center, 45% of girls have admitted to feeling overwhelmed because of the drama they deal with online.  

Millennials (born 1981-1996)

Millennials are often looked at as the bridge between the older and younger generations. They have a slightly different relationship with social media compared to Gen Z but still follow some similar patterns.

Their relationship with social media goes beyond socializing and focuses more on personal and professional growth. 

Education and growth

LinkedIn is extremely popular among millennials for networking and professional growth. Users not only use LinkedIn for growing their network but also for exploring job opportunities and personal branding. 

Millennials also use other platforms like YouTube and Instagram to consume educational content.

Driving social commerce

Millennials are one of the major contributors to the growth of social commerce. 64% of millennials have made a purchase directly through a social media app. Mostly millennials are old enough to have further along in their career and have disposable income.

Social recommendations also play a huge part in persuading people to make these purchases. 

Digital Addiction and Mental Health

Social media allows millennials to stay connected and offers them an opportunity to explore avenues for growth. However, there is a dark side to the constant connectivity. 

Many millennials report experiencing symptoms of digital addiction like anxiety and irritability when disconnected. High screen times and social comparisons are a cause of mental health concerns that many millennials are facing nowadays. 

Generation X (born 1965-1980)

Generation X takes a balanced approach to social media and tends to gravitate towards nostalgia as well as modern content. This is a generation that grew up before the social media craze but adapted to it. 

Reconnecting and information

Platforms like Facebook offer Gen X an opportunity to stay connected with friends and family. The majority of Gen Xers use social media for this purpose. Many have been able to reconnect with old friends they hadn’t been in touch with due to social media. 

Outside of personal connections, they also use social media platforms to access news and information. 

Privacy and security

Generation X is skeptical about privacy on social media channels and is hesitant to share personal information. 

One in three Gen Xers do not trust social media platforms. They are much more concerned about privacy compared to younger generations. A big contributing factor to this is that they have grown up before the rise of social media but have familiarity with internet technology from its early days.

Baby boomers (born 1946-1964)

Baby boomers are some of the oldest users of social media. They are often looked at as latecomers to these platforms but have embraced them for connecting with family and health purposes. 

Staying connected with family

Baby boomers use social media to stay connected with their grandchildren. Platforms like Facebook provide them with an opportunity to share family moments and engage with their children’s and grandchildren’s lives.

Health and wellness information

Social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube have become valuable resources for health and wellness information for Baby Boomers. They use these platforms to gather information on health-related information for themselves as well as to share it with family members. 

Challenges and learning curves

Social media and technology present some challenges for baby boomers. They have adopted these platforms much later in life and often struggle with online safety. They may not be able to recognize phishing attempts or fraudulent online activities making them susceptible to scams.

Cross-generational trends

Image Source: Statista

The way different generations use and experience social media can vary greatly. But amidst this diversity, there are certain overlaps. Some of the common concerns and trends shared by most generations are:

Privacy and data security 

All generations are concerned about the safety of their data and information. The amount of trust they have in social media platforms differs quite a bit with the younger generation trusting them more. Most users take some steps to stay vigilant and safeguard their online presence.

News and informational content

Most social media users, use them to view and interact with educational content and news. The difference typically lies in what they are looking to learn. 

The ease of access to news articles, real-time updates, and user-generated content on platforms like Facebook and Twitter has transformed the way we consume news. 

According to Statista, up to 50% of Gen Z and 44% of Millenials use social media daily to get their news. However, individuals from all generations reported to be using social media for news.

This trend also raises questions about the reliability of information, as fake news and misinformation can spread rapidly on social media.

Influencer marketing

Influencer marketing transcends age boundaries as trust is one of the foundations of digital marketing. 

Influencers connect with their audience on a deeper level and help others or their brands generate brand awareness along with more sales. When targeting different generations, the difference is typically in the type of content these influencers are creating. 

Successful social media marketing campaigns targeting different generations

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna: Targeting Gen Z

Rihanna, who is a massive pop artist is the face of Fenty Beauty. Fenty tapped into Gen Z’s appreciation of authenticity and diversity. 

The brand focused on inclusivity and offered a range of products for different skin tones. Their social media campaign relies extensively on UGC (User-generated Content) and influencer marketing.

This builds trust with their audience and also encourages them to create more content and spread brand awareness.

Airbnb’s “We Are Here” campaign:  Targeting millennials

Airbnb's "We Are Here" campaign resonated with Millennials by highlighting experiences over material possessions.

The campaign included real travelers sharing their experiences through video. They were live-streamed on Facebook and generated over 6.2 million views. They leveraged elements of visual storytelling and user-generated content to inspire viewers to travel and pursue new experiences.

Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign: Targeting Gen X

Image source: Coca-cola

Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” campaign tapped into nostalgia and personalization. 

They added popular first names to their bottles and cans encouraging people to buy their product and share it with their friends and family. 

Coca-Cola is an iconic brand that carries tons of nostalgia and creating personalized experiences was a great way for them to get their buyers involved. This campaign was hugely successful and gathered a ton of attention on social media across all generations. 

ETRADE’s “Don’t Get Mad” campaign: Targeting baby boomers

ETRADE’s “Don’t Get Mad” campaign utilized humor and relatability to target baby boomers. They included visuals of people making bad financial decisions and losing their cool. 

This was a simple but effective way of guiding them towards a solution. Baby boomers appreciate the light-hearted nature of the ad and the acknowledgment of how difficult investing can be. 

They used platforms like Facebook and YouTube since those are the major platforms used by baby boomers. It was a great way to get the message across while keeping the content engaging. 

The future of social media and generational shifts

The future of social media is difficult to predict as you need to account for how new generations will interact with these platforms while adapting to new technology.

However, looking at the current landscape and technological trends some key points to consider are:

Emergence of new platforms

Over the years, many new social media platforms have emerged attracting new users but many platforms have also lost popularity.  

As new generations come of age and preferences and communication styles evolve we can expect new platforms to gain popularity. Or if current platforms can evolve with what the users want, you may see Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat last for years or decades to come. 

However, it is important to note that historically large corporations have found it difficult to adapt to sudden changes in the markets. This allows new platforms to gain market share.  

New technology: AR and VR

Technologies like Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are predicted to transform the way we use social media. There are also many doubters of the value that these advancements may provide when it comes to social media.

However, as newer generations come around and the technology gets better kids will grow up to be familiar with and comfortable with it. You may see users engaging with friends and communities in virtual environments, attending events, and interacting with content in ways we can’t even imagine yet. 

Final thoughts

Internet and social media are shared spaces where different generations exist and consume a wide variety of content. Understanding how they utilize social media can have a positive outcome if you’re a brand or marketer. 

Embracing these differences will allow you to foster better communication, and build stronger connections. As the internet and its users grow older, it is only natural to expect changes in trends. 

But keeping an open and navigating the social media world with empathy will help you level up your digital presence.