Millennials were the largest generation group in the United States in 2024, with an estimated population of ***** million. Born between 1981 and 1996, Millennials recently surpassed Baby Boomers as the biggest group, and they will continue to be a major part of the population for many years. The rise of Generation Alpha Generation Alpha is the most recent to have been named, and many group members will not be able to remember a time before smartphones and social media. As of 2024, the oldest Generation Alpha members were still only aging into adolescents. However, the group already makes up around ***** percent of the U.S. population, and they are said to be the most racially and ethnically diverse of all the generation groups. Boomers vs. Millennials The number of Baby Boomers, whose generation was defined by the boom in births following the Second World War, has fallen by around ***** million since 2010. However, they remain the second-largest generation group, and aging Boomers are contributing to steady increases in the median age of the population. Meanwhile, the Millennial generation continues to grow, and one reason for this is the increasing number of young immigrants arriving in the United States.

Gen Z and millennial men in the United States are more likely to live with their parents than women in the same age group. In 2023, approximately 11 percent of women aged 25 to 34 lived in their parents' home, compared to almost 19 percent of men. When looking at the age group of 18 to 24, the difference was less drastic.

In 2024, Millennials were the largest generation group in the United States, making up about 21.81 percent of the population. However, Generation Z was not far behind, with Gen Z accounting for around 20.81 percent of the population in that year.

As of February 2025, ** percent of LinkedIn users in the United States were Millennials, whilst ** percent belonged to Generation Z. Additionally, *** in *** U.S. users were Baby boomers.

According to the findings of a survey conducted in 2021, 38 percent of Generation Z respondents in the United States spent between 21 and 50 dollars on a single skin care product, while only about eight percent spent 150 dollars or more.

The skin care routine trend

Skin care has become a fundamental step in beauty routines, especially for younger generations of consumers. It can be seen all over the internet, with influencers promoting the newest products and make-up artists offering tutorials and tips. Skin care actually makes up around 40 percent of the global cosmetics market, and it is expected to reach a revenue of roughly 187.68 billion U.S. dollars by 2026. Generation Z uses skin care to fight skin imperfections, but also as a form of self-care. New skin care products are thus launched regularly, with ingredients like Vitamin C and Retinol increasingly becoming must-haves.

Beauty in the digital age

With younger shoppers becoming the focus of several brands, the internet is now undeniably relevant for the beauty industry as well. Gen Z is the generation that spends more money on skin care, often buying through online channels. This comes as no surprise, considering that they are very comfortable with social media and the internet. For this reason, they tend to use innovative beauty tech devices more than older generations and are also more swayed by influencers when choosing their beauty products.

In 2018, ** percent of American millennial women born between 1982 and 1986 had children. On the other hand, ** percent of American women born between 1995 and 1998 had children. Women entering their thirties were more likely to have a child compared to women in their twenties.

This statistic shows the share of children in the United States in 2014 whose parents were Millennials, by age of the child. As of 2014, ** percent of zero- to ****year-olds in the United States were born to Millennial parents.

As of 2023, the estimated population of Gen Z in the United Kingdom was 13.2 million, ranging from eleven to 26-year's old. The most-common single year of age for Gen Z in this year was 26, at 887,804, while there were 788,039 that were aged 17, the least common year of age.

According to a survey conducted in early 2025 among adults in the United States, social media continued to be a leading source of news, particularly among younger audiences. Around two-thirds of respondents aged 18 to 24, as well as those between 25 and 34, reported using social platforms to stay informed. In addition, emerging formats like AI chatbots and news podcasts also gained momentum, with a noticeable share of both age groups turning to these tools for their news consumption.

A survey from 2023 found that 58 percent of Gen Z respondents in the United States strongly or somewhat agreed that, on an average weekday, they felt like they had enough time to relax. Among Gen Z adults aged 24 to 26, just around half felt they had enough time to relax on an average weekday.

According to a 2023 survey, Americans between 18 and 29 years of age were more likely to identify with the Democratic Party than any other surveyed age group. While 39 percent identified as Democrats, only 14 percent identified ad Republicans. However, those 50 and older identified more with the Republican Party.

A 2023 survey revealed that smartphones were the preferred device for watching video content in the U.S. among 13 to 24-year-olds, with ** percent using them weekly. In contrast, smart TVs were more popular among viewers aged 35 years and older, indicating a clear generational divide in viewing preferences. As more and more people switch to streaming offers, MVPD set-top boxes have become increasingly unpopular. Generational differences in content choices According to another survey from October 2023, nearly **** of Gen Z respondents stated to prefer social video and live streams, compared to one third of millennials. This preference for short-form, interactive content aligns with the high smartphone usage among younger viewers. Meanwhile, millennials are more likely to choose traditional TV shows and movies as their favorite content type, explaining their higher penetration rate of smart TVs and connected devices. Entertainment time The amount of time spent on different video platforms varies significantly by age group. Millennials with young children spend an average of over ***** hours per day watching content on connected TV devices, more than double the time spent by other demographics. This trend is further supported by data showing that viewers over 35 dedicate ** percent of their entertainment screen time to TV, while Gen Z allocates only ** percent to this medium. Instead, younger viewers spread their time across various platforms, with gaming accounting for the highest share of their entertainment screen time.

According to an early 2025 survey, ** percent of Grindr users in the United States were Millennials. Meanwhile, Generation Z and X users accounted for ** percent and ** percent of the dating application's audiences in the country each.

In 2023, Generation X, or those born between 1965 and 1980, had the highest food expenditure in the United States compared to other generations, spending an average of 12,386 U.S. on food. On the other hand, the silent generation, or those born in 1946 or earlier, spent the least, with an average of 6,001 U.S..

According to data collected during the first quarter of 2020, adults aged 18 to 34 spent more time browsing the web via smartphone than any other age group in the United States. Overall media consumption was highest among adults aged 50 to 64 during that period. Traditional media Traditional media is gradually losing its appeal to younger, more tech-savvy generations. While television consumption is ******* among adults who have not grown up with the internet or other digital channels, young Millennials and Gen Z tend to prefer non-linear forms of news and entertainment. Data on the median age of media users in the U.S. showed that the average age of TV viewers and print magazine readers was higher than that of internet users in 2020, and similar generational trends can be observed in many digitally developed markets globally. Impact of COVID-19 on media usage The onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic boosted media consumption across the United States and worldwide in 2020. While the average time spent with traditional media ********* for the first time in over a decade, digital media consumption saw a particularly impressive spike that year due to remote working and schooling setups. In the following years, the gap between traditional and digital media consumption is expected to widen even further.

As of September 2023, YouTube as the most popular social media platform for global users, with 97 percent of respondents reporting to use the popular video platform. YouTube was also the most popular social media among Gen Z users, with 96 percent of respondents in this age group reporting to have used the video platform as of the examined period. Facebook's usage kept steady among among the general digital population, with around eight in 10 reporting to have used the platform. In comparison, the social media's popularity was in free fall among gen Z users with only four in 10 among those surveyed reporting to engage with the Meta-powered platform.

As of January 2025, 24.2 percent of Facebook users in the United States were aged between 25 and 34 years, making up Facebook’s largest audience in the country. Overall, 19 percent of users belonged to the 18 to 24-year age group. Does everyone in the U.S. use Facebook? In 2023, there were approximately 247 million Facebook users in the U.S., a figure which is projected to steadily increase, and reach 262.8 million by 2028. Social media users in the United States have a very high awareness of the social media giant. Expectedly, 94 percent of users had heard of the brand in 2023. Although the vast majority of U.S. social networkers knew of Facebook, the likeability of the platform was not so impressive at 68 percent. Nonetheless, usage, loyalty, and buzz around the brand remained relatively high. Facebook, Meta, and the metaverse A strategic rebranding from Facebook to Meta Platforms in late 2021 boded well for the company in Mark Zuckerberg’s attempt to be strongly linked to the metaverse, and to be considered more than just a social media company. According to a survey conducted in the U.S. in early 2022, Meta Platforms is the brand that Americans most associated with the metaverse.  

According to a global survey conducted in 2021, respondents who belonged to Generation Z reported spending on average three hours per day on social media. Overall, Millennials stated that they spent 2.25 hours per day on online social platforms. Those belonging to the Baby boomer generation spent an average one hour on social media, daily.

A survey from 2023 found that 54 percent of Gen Z respondents in the United States strongly or somewhat agreed that on an average weekday they felt like they got enough sleep. Among Gen Z adults aged 24 to 26, just around half felt they got enough sleep on an average weekday.

More than **** of consumers belonging to Generation Z bought something on social media platforms, according to a survey in 2024. Almost a ***** of overall consumers bought on social media platforms. The consumer experience In a 2023 survey, Facebook and Instagram were the social media platforms offering the best shopping experience. To gain deeper insights into the elements constituting a satisfactory social commerce shopping journey from the user's viewpoint, key factors shaping consumers' heightened engagement with social commerce included, but were not limited to, deals and discounts, seamless purchasing processes, exclusive offers, and increased availability of customer reviews. Social shopping destinations Facebook is the leading social commerce platform globally, except among Gen Z, who favor Instagram and TikTok. However, the types of social media accounts that shoppers followed and purchased from varied by age group. Gen Z and Millennials predominantly bought from brand accounts, with Gen Z also showing a preference for social media influencers. Conversely, Gen X and Boomers preferred purchasing from trusted retailer accounts.