TikTok ban threat—what Gen Z, millennials, Gen X and boomers really think of the app

TikTok support is strong among Gen Z, the app’s core constituency, as it battles for its existence in the U.S., and a new poll shows just how committed 18-to-27-year-olds are to the platform. In fact, 64% of adult-age Gen Zers are on TikTok daily, whereas just 33% of millennials, 24% of Gen Xers and 5% of baby boomers use TikTok daily, according to a new Ad Age-Harris Poll that delved into the social media habits across generations. Also, 18-to-24-year-olds were the one group that opposed a bill that would potentially ban TikTok in the U.S., with 57% of them objecting to the proposal, according to a recent Harvard CAPS Harris Poll. That poll found otherwise widespread support for the bill, with 65% of all respondents supporting the action to force TikTok to sell its U.S. holdings or get shut down. Most voters support anti-TikTok bill, but not the youth A bill is working its way through the U.S. Congress that could force Chinese-based ByteDance to sell TikTok, or the app could get banned. Do you support or oppose this bill? Source: Harvard CAPS Harris Poll Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs The findings of the two polls reflect the generational divide over TikTok and illustrate why brands have relied on the app to reach young consumers. The polls also demonstrate the peril TikTok faces, as public support for the app is unsteady. Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill that would force TikTok to disentangle itself from Chinese-based ByteDance, otherwise, the app would get banned in the U.S. The Senate still has to take up the measure, so TikTok’s fate is in the air. The app has an undeniable hold on U.S. culture after popularizing a new style of mobile video consumption and shaping music, entertainment, media and advertising. Brands are increasingly turning to TikTok for marketing ideas and to address audiences that are harder to find through traditional channels. TikTok’s leaders have defended the app in the U.S. by promoting its benefits to businesses and the creator community, comprised of the most popular users of the app who rely on it for their livelihoods. Brand effect Gen Z is more likely to think brands would be hurt by a TikTok ban Losing access to TikTok would negatively impact brands Source: Ad Age/Harris Poll Also read: What a TikTok ban would mean for creators TikTok also recently launched a multipronged ad campaign to promote its contributions to small businesses. The campaign is running across TV, digital and out of home, according to a TikTok spokesperson. The ad push was initially reported by CNBC, which estimated TikTok would spend $2.1 million on the effort, but TikTok’s spokesperson said the budget was “significantly higher.” TikTok also planned to target key local markets across the U.S., the spokesperson said. “We think the public at large should know that the government is attempting to trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans and devastate 7 million small businesses nationwide,” TikTok’s spokesperson said. The new commercials carry a “Keep TikTok” message, highlighting U.S. business owners and how they use the app. “Americans, of all ages, come to TikTok to learn and grow, which is why millions of Americans are making their voices heard in opposition to the ban bill,” TikTok’s spokesperson said. @tiktok From cultivating community to business booming, there are millions of reasons to #KeepTikTok ♬ original sound - TikTok As for Gen Z’s feelings about TikTok and brands, the Harris Poll conducted for Ad Age showed Gen Z was the group most likely to follow brands, discover brands and purchase products from TikTok Shop, the e-commerce hub inside the app. Of all respondents who identified as TikTok users, 32% said they had purchased a product from TikTok Shop. As for Gen Z, 40% of that group said they shopped on TikTok. Source: Ad Age/Harris Poll. Infographic by Ad Age. (Click image enlarge) While the dual polls reveal conflicted feelings over TikTok, many respondents, including young people, do think it poses a national security threat. In fact, 68% of all respondents said TikTok posed a threat because of its current ownership, and 62% of 18- to 24-year-olds agreed with that sentiment, according to The Harvard CAPS Harris Poll. Trust factor Younger users are more likely to trust information on TikTok TikTok posts contain more trustworthy information than other social media Source: Ad Age/Harris Poll The Ad Age-Harris Poll did reveal a split in the generational mindset over the perception of misinformation on social media. Lawmakers and intelligence officials have warned about misinformation on all social media platforms, but TikTok’s ties to Chinese-based ByteDance have led to heightened fears about its influence on the U.S. media landscape. In the poll, U.S. consumers were asked whether they thought information from TikTok was more trustworthy than other social media platforms, and Gen Z was inclined to agree that it is more reliable. In total, the poll revealed that only 29% of respondents agreed with the idea that TikTok had more trustworthy information than other social media sites. That figure jumped to 59% among Gen Zers. “Our community guidelines prohibit inaccurate, misleading, or false content that may cause significant harm to individuals or society,” TikTok’s spokesperson said. The Ad Age-Harris Poll also explored how frequently people use different platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and X (formerly Twitter). The frequency of usage on these platforms also showed generational differences: 62% of millennials, 59% of Gen Xers and 49% of boomers used Facebook every day, whereas only 36% of adult Gen Zers used Facebook that often, according to the poll. Meanwhile, 62% of Gen Z respondents said they used Instagram daily, while only 33% of all respondents said they used Instagram daily. On Snapchat, 52% of Gen Z used it daily, while overall, 20% of respondents were daily users. On X, 32% of Gen Z used it daily, compared to 19% of all respondents saying the same. On Instagram, 62% of Gen Zers said they used it daily, compared to 33% of all respondents. Ad sentiment TikTok is viewed as a positive ad channel, especially among Gen Z TikTok advertisements are a good way for brands to reach consumers Source: Ad Age/Harris Poll YouTube had the most Gen Zers saying they visited daily at 66%, and 45% of all respondents said they watched YouTube daily. When it came to TikTok, 64% of Gen Zers said they viewed it every day, but only 26% of all respondents said they were on the app daily. The Ad Age-Harris poll was conducted on March 22, and it surveyed 1,630 people 18 and older in the U.S. over a 24-hour period. Source: Ad Age/Harris Poll. Infographic by Ad Age. (Click image enlarge) The poll also looked at how much time people spent on each app. Gen Z spent the most time on YouTube every day, with TikTok a close second. In fact, 71% of Gen Z respondents, who used TikTok daily, said they spent at least one hour on the app each day, and 74% said the same about their YouTube usage.

TikTok ban threat—what Gen Z, millennials, Gen X and boomers really think of the app

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