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Gen Zers are more than twice (42%) as likely than the average (20%) to buy holiday gifts directly through social media in 2024, according to May 2024 research from Basis Technologies and GWI.

Social commerce still has plenty of room to expand in the US. With discovery and inspiration as the key characteristics of social commerce, TikTok won鈥檛 be Amazon鈥攂ut it will bring in new Gen Z shoppers.

Meta and Roblox show how teen safety has become a priority: A year of heavy scrutiny from regulators has prompted similar platforms to overhaul protections.

Generation Z: Though over 1 in 3 Gen Zers already have credit cards, younger Gen Zers are becoming eligible for credit. But it鈥檚 not just access they鈥檙e after鈥攖hey want convenience. They care about easy access to ATMs for cash, and being able to make mobile, contactless payments.

Gen Zers are becoming podcast listeners faster than any other generation. Millennials and Gen Zers will be neck and neck for the highest podcast adoption this year (60.8% versus 59.8%). But we forecast Gen Zers will overtake millennials within the next year. They will hit 68.9% by 2028 versus 61.2% for millennials.

Gen Zers are also the likeliest cohort to say they鈥檙e actively considering a switch in the coming year. Apple and PayPal are the top two providers that Gen Zers would buy from based purely on brand trust. Apple is especially popular: 40.5% of Gen Zers would buy from it, versus just 19.8% of consumers overall.

Key stat: The younger the consumer, the more likely they are to accept cookies if asked. More than half (57.6%) of US Gen Z consumers say they 鈥渙ften鈥� or 鈥渁lways鈥� accept cookie notifications, compared with 53.4% of millennials, 46.8% of gen X, and 36.0% of boomers, per a July 2024 蘑菇AV survey.

They represent the youngest members of Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012, per our forecast definition. Age ranges from third-party data may vary. Social media can do both good and bad. Most teens are looking for entertainment and connection.

The strategy: Financial institutions (FIs) are redesigning branches with self-service options, mobile integration, and personalized experiences in mind鈥攚hich are key to attracting Gen Z customers. What do Gen Zers want? ATM Marketplace likened banks鈥� Gen Z branch strategy to the 鈥淎pple Store model,鈥� which aligns with the generation鈥檚 preferences:.

Adult Gen Zers are the most likely to listen solely to ad-free digital audio. This is the case for 33% of listeners ages 18 to 24 and 25% of those ages 25 to 44, according to CivicScience. Whether they pay for their subscriptions or use a shared family account, one-third of Gen Zers are not hearing ads unless they鈥檙e listening to podcasts. Read the full report, Digital Audio Listener Demographics 2025.

Streaming video and music top Gen Z adults鈥� media activities, but their digital lives aren't just about entertainment. The multitasking, multidevice cohort treats the intersection of media and technology as a lifeline for socializing and staying informed.

Plus, Gen Zers care more about corporate social responsibility than do older consumers. When we asked which factors were important in determining their level of trust in a bank brand, more Gen Zers cited the brand鈥檚 socially and environmentally responsible practices than did any other generation.

Instacart is going after Gen Z. Fizz is squarely aimed at younger consumers, from its Gen Z-oriented branding to its integration with party-planning app Partiful to its $5 flat delivery fee, which is lower than the $7.99 Instacart currently charges nonmembers.

The news: Social media and streaming platforms are driving content discovery for Gen Z consumers, who are consistently online and hungry for short-form content. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of US Gen Zers find new media content on social media platforms like TikTok or Instagram, per Toluna鈥檚 Gen Z Decoded survey, and 71% turn to YouTube.

Our take: While Gen Z prefers Tinder over other dating apps, 79% of Gen Zers already on the apps feel at least somewhat burnt out by them, per Forbes. Tinder鈥檚 consumer-facing use of AI could differentiate it from others and help decrease burnout while giving Tinder valuable data for other AI applications.