How does Gen Z discover brands? Mostly in the feed. Social media is now the first place many young people go to look things up. Creators they follow shape what they buy, and they trust real people far more than brand voice. For CMOs this changes the job: you are no longer just buying attention next to content, you need to be the content that shows up when Gen Z scrolls, searches and asks their friends.
This report pulls together the most recent data from Pew, Ofcom, Edelman, Deloitte, Sprout Social and YouGov, with a UK lens throughout, and ends with six practical moves for brands.
The short version
- Search starts in the feed. Social is the first stop for 41% of Gen Z, although Google is still rated the most helpful search tool overall.
- TikTok is the UK’s main app for 16 to 24s. 35% name it their main social app, and UK 18 to 24s spend over six hours a day online.
- Creators beat ads, but only real ones. Gen Z are far more likely to discover products through creators, and far more sceptical of sponsored posts.
- Trust sits with people, not logos. Friends, family, reviews and employees are all trusted more than influencers or the brand itself.
- The conversation moves to DMs and comments. 55% of consumers would rather message a brand than complain publicly.
Gen Z searches on social first
The clearest shift is in search. A Sprout Social survey of 2,280 people across the US, UK and Australia in 2025 found that 41% of Gen Z turn to social platforms first when they search for information, ahead of traditional search engines.
Google saw this coming. Back in 2022, Google’s Prabhakar Raghavan said that in its studies, almost 40% of young people looking for a place to eat went to TikTok or Instagram rather than Google Maps or Search.
It is not the end of Google, though. In a 2026 Adobe Express survey reported by Search Engine Journal, 85% of US consumers still rated Google the most helpful search tool, and only 4% of Gen Z said they prefer TikTok to Google. The better way to read it is that Gen Z search everywhere. They use Google for facts and directions, and social video for ideas, opinions and proof. TikTok’s own research says two in three of its searchers find something useful beyond what they were looking for, which is exactly where discovery happens.
Gen Z don’t just search for a product. They search for someone they trust using it.
Where Gen Z spends their time
In the US, YouTube and Instagram are near universal among young adults, with TikTok and Snapchat close behind. Pew’s 2025 survey of 5,022 adults shows the picture for 18 to 29 year olds.
US adults aged 18 to 29 who use each platform, 2025
Among US teens, about 9 in 10 use YouTube, roughly 6 in 10 or more use TikTok and Instagram, and about 1 in 5 say they are on TikTok or YouTube “almost constantly”, according to Pew’s December 2025 teen study.
The UK picture
Ofcom’s data shows the same pattern at home. TikTok is the most popular main social app for UK 16 to 24s, named by 35% in Ofcom’s Adults’ Media Use and Attitudes 2025. UK 18 to 24s are the most active adults online, averaging 6 hours 20 minutes a day against 4 hours 30 minutes for all adults, according to Ofcom Online Nation 2025.
Social is also where young people get their news. About three quarters of UK 16 to 24s use social media for news, and among 12 to 15s the most used individual news sources are TikTok (31%), YouTube (30%) and Instagram (24%), per Ofcom News Consumption in the UK 2025. In the US, 43% of adults under 30 now regularly get news on TikTok, up from 9% in 2020, according to Pew.
Creators shape what Gen Z buys
The Sprout data is striking: 90% of Gen Z say social media content influenced a purchase in the past six months, against 76% of all respondents. Creators are a big part of that.
- Discovery. 40% of US Gen Z discover new products through influencers, against 26% of older adults, and 49% follow influencers or celebrities, according to YouGov’s April 2026 analysis.
- Connection. Around half of US Gen Z and millennials feel a stronger personal connection to social creators than to TV personalities or actors, per Deloitte’s 2025 Digital Media Trends. 63% of Gen Z say social ads and reviews influence their purchases most, against 28% for streaming ads.
- In the UK. 56% of 16 to 24s follow celebrities or influencers, compared with 8% of people over 65 (Ofcom).
But Gen Z are also quick to spot a paid post. In an Adobe Express survey of US TikTok users, 67% of Gen Z said they distrust sponsored content on the platform, against 51% of millennials. The creators who work are the ones who clearly use and like the product.
Who Gen Z actually trust
Edelman’s 2025 brand trust study, covering 15,042 people across 15 markets including the UK and US, shows a clear ranking. People trust those who look like them far more than paid voices.
Trusted sources for accurate information about brands
The same study found that 73% of 18 to 28 year olds say a brand that authentically reflects today’s culture would do more to earn their trust than one that ignores it. Being culturally fluent is not a nice extra. It is how trust is built.
The conversation moves to DMs and comments
Discovery does not end at the post. According to Sprout Social’s August 2026 pulse survey of 2,250 consumers:
- 55% would rather slide into a brand’s DMs than complain publicly.
- 50% want brands to stop sounding salesy and corporate and start sounding authentic and relatable.
- Originality (33%) is the second biggest driver of loyalty after quality (44%), ahead of price.
- 54% of Gen Z turn to social for gift ideas.
Put simply, the comment section and the inbox are now part of your shop window.
What this means for brands: six moves
1. Treat social as a search engine
Write captions, on screen text and spoken lines using the words your audience actually types. Answer the questions they ask. A video titled with a real question will be found long after it is posted.
2. Make it native to the feed
Repurposed TV ads rarely survive the scroll. Shoot vertical, hook in the first seconds, and make something people would watch even if your logo was not in it.
3. Put real people on camera
Employees, customers and experts are trusted more than brand voice. Use creators who genuinely use your product, and let them speak in their own words.
4. Build series, not one offs
Recurring formats give people a reason to follow and come back. Originality is a loyalty driver, so own a format instead of chasing every trend.
5. Staff the comments and DMs
If more than half of consumers prefer to message you, someone needs to reply, quickly and in a human voice. Community management is part of the content, not an afterthought.
6. Measure discovery, not just reach
Track saves, shares, sends, profile searches and branded search alongside views. These are the signals that someone found you and wants more. Our CMO guide to measuring brand awareness goes deeper.
Want help building a social presence Gen Z actually chooses to watch? See our work or get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
Is TikTok replacing Google for Gen Z?
Not entirely. 41% of Gen Z go to social first when searching, but most people still rate Google as the most helpful search tool. Gen Z use both: social for ideas and proof, Google for facts and directions.
Which social platform is best for reaching Gen Z in the UK?
TikTok is the most popular main social app for UK 16 to 24s, but YouTube and Instagram have huge reach too. Most brands need a presence on all three, with content made natively for each.
Do Gen Z trust influencers?
Selectively. They follow and discover products through creators far more than older groups, but many distrust obviously sponsored posts. Creators who genuinely use the product, and show it, work best.
How much time do young people spend online in the UK?
Ofcom says UK 18 to 24s spend an average of 6 hours 20 minutes a day online, more than any other adult age group.
