TikTok has enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity over the past couple of years, especially in 2020 as people in lockdown used the platform to entertain themselves, their families and friends. One group, in particular, has been especially drawn to TikTok. 

Gen Z users have taken to TikTok in droves. It’s estimated that by the end of 2021, there will be more Gen Z users on TikTok in the US than on Instagram – 37.3 million on TikTok and 33.3 million on Instagram. It’s also predicted that Gen Z TikTok users will exceed Snapchat’s numbers by 2023.

An analyst at Insider Intelligence said that Instagram’s user base is aging, with the greatest increase in users seen in the 35-44-year-old age group (up 7.2%) and only minimal increases seen among teens and young adults ages 18-24 (0.7% and 2%, respectively). However, marketers should be aware that Gen Z will still comprise 28% of Instagram users so the platform shouldn’t be written off completely with respect to that group.

While Snapchat is currently the favored platform among Gen Z users (42 million users), the gap with TikTok is expected to narrow significantly by 2025.

Insider Intelligence said, “TikTok has incredibly strong engagement and loyalty among Gen Z. The members of this generation are using it not only to be entertained, but also increasingly to learn about and discuss weightier issues such as climate change, politics, and news. Other social platforms also offer such content, but TikTok’s unique video style and aesthetic is strongly appealing to young people.”

Despite the popularity of Snapchat and TikTok among younger users, Instagram still has more total users than either of the other two platforms and this trend is expected to continue at least through 2023.