As one of the most popular social networks among young people, Instagram continues to please Gen Z and Millennials. So what’s driving that success, and what are these generations looking for when they head to this platform?
Instagram is far from losing out to TikTok. While the Chinese social network stands out as the favourite of 13-to-39-year-olds, the Meta group’s platform is still holding on to second place, according to research by YPulse. In fact, Instagram has grown in popularity in recent months. The app is used by 67 per cent of Millennials and 66 per cent of Gen Z, up 12 points among Gen Y and six points among Gen Z between November 2022 and April 2023. Some 43 per cent of Gen Z and 52 per cent of Millennials say they use Instagram daily. Moreover, the platform is the only one to have seen slight growth, compared to Netflix, YouTube, Disney+ and even TikTok, according to YPulse.
While young people prefer TikTok to post viral content or memes, they turn to Instagram to share content about their travels, or any other event that marks their lives. Millennials are more likely to use filters and videos on Instagram, while Gen Z users are more likely to turn to TikTok for this kind of content.
The features most used by Gen Z and Millennials are Stories, followed by Reels and finally photo filters.
Whereas Instagram used to be synonymous with a polished, perfect-looking image, the natural authenticity favoured on TikTok has changed the game on Meta’s social network. Young people are now indulging in the trend for imperfection, posting blurred or poor-quality pictures, as well as in “photo dumps,” with a mix of photos often covering the past month or so. ― ETX Studio
