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Time spent with social media is plateauing, but Gen Z and Gen Alpha are still platform-hopping. As Gen Zers steadily overtake millennials in terms of share, brands must understand the nuances of how each generation uses its platforms of choice.

After advertisers spent Q1 2025 reacting to the threat of tariffs, they shifted their focus back to the business of figuring out how social platforms’ automated offerings complement more established methods of investment.

Social network user growth will be slow on a worldwide level, but 2025’s meager 2.9% increase will still equate to more than 115 million new users. Facebook remains in the lead in most countries and regions, even though its share of internet users is declining.

Despite high penetration of social networks among internet users in Asia-Pacific, population-wide adoption lags. As such, we expect 209.6 million new social media users in the region between 2025 and 2029.

A young, culturally influential, and economically powerful group, Black consumers are shaping digital trends through high engagement with streaming and social media while shaping retail with their distinct shopping preferences.

The number of social network users in the US will tick up 1.7% YoY this year, while adult users will see almost 2% growth. But time spent on social networks among adult users will peak this year, meaning the battle for engagement is on.

Gen Zers continue to overtake millennials in several prominent digital activities and platforms, including social commerce, podcasts, and Instagram.

Social media usage in Canada continues to grow, but it’s spread across a wider range of networks. Meta’s Facebook and Instagram still lead, but TikTok, Snapchat, Pinterest, and X also command large audiences.

India’s commerce landscape is undergoing rapid transformation, fueled by booming ecommerce, rising mobile shopping, and the growing influence of social media.

X’s ad business is beginning to recover. But the return to growth is complicated, and there’s still a long road ahead for X’s ad revenues to reach pre-Elon Musk levels.

What do brands need to know about the next wave of digital growth?

YouTube has more users than Facebook, Netflix, or Spotify. But its advertising revenues do not match its vast reach. This report contextualizes the opportunities and scope for growth in various media spheres.

While teens retain digital habits from childhood (such as a strong preference for YouTube), their newfound independence and desire to connect with peers has led them to new habits.

Reddit’s user base and ad revenues are growing rapidly, as is its prominence in search engines like Google. Here’s how marketers are showing up on the platform in ways that resonate with users.

Latin America’s digital revolution is marching full steam ahead, with consumers spending more than a third of their day online. As social commerce and retail media propel the region’s digital economy to new heights, the runway for growth remains long.​

Digital gaming is popular across generations. But Gen Zers and millennials are more likely to game on multiple platforms, seek community around the hobby, and pass the habit on to their children.

Automated ad systems, boosted video ad spending, and platforms leaning into their unique qualities led to a bounce-back year in 2024 for social networks overall.

Google and Meta landed slightly below expectations in Q3, allowing a collection of hungry competitors to inch ahead. But overall, the ad industry remains healthy. Sports events drove streaming and CTV to record gains, and retail media continues to be the sector’s fastest-growing ad channel.

New mothers are increasingly digitally native. But their digital habits are defined more by their children’s life stage than by their own generational cohort.

Gen Z leads in digital usage by most proportional measures. However, social network use cuts across categories, influencing video viewing and digital buying.

This report focuses on how time spent with media, device ownership, and media adoption stack up in Middle East and Africa.

How time spent with media, device ownership, and media adoption stacks up in South and Southeast Asia.

How time spent with media, device ownership, and media adoption stack up in Central and Eastern Europe.

Media habits in Canada have changed, favoring digital across all formats. The GMI report for Canada is a single source for quantifying the pace of change in time spent with media, media adoption, and device ownership.

How time spent with media, device ownership, and media adoption stacks up in Western Europe.