Gen Z vs Millennial Media Consumption Differences

Gen Z and Millennials have very similar habits for consuming information, but there are important differences. Generally speaking, and this probably goes without saying, both generations rely heavily on online sources for news, entertainment and even social interaction. No newspapers in the driveway. No CD collections. Parties and celebrations — well, these days, videoconferencing and virtual events have taken center stage as never before. 

These online-heavy media consumption habits are important for marketers to understand, because these behaviors affect not only the way media should focus their communication efforts, but to a great degree the style and content of the message. 

The infographic below, Millennials vs. Gen Z — Media Consumption Habits, provides a number of statistics and insights that advertisers and marketers will find useful, and members of both generations will find interesting. 

An important takeaway from the graphic is the popularity of video media consumption in both generations. While Millennials enjoy video to a very great extent, they are still comfortable consuming textual information. For Gen Z, video is a way of life for many. Since video has established itself as a leading format for online news and entertainment, and one that is almost certain to grow in popularity, marketing departments should be analyzing their marketing budgets carefully. How much money is being devoted to video creation and also production? 

This is a key question, not only because video is the format of choice for many a target audience, but also because video can be quite expensive to produce. From concept to storyboards to recording to editing to deployment, video, much like Hollywood films, involves multiple talents working together over several weeks or months to create what in the end may be only a 30-second or 1-minute-long final product. 

This cost-result equation should not discourage anyone in the marketing department. For both Millennials and also Gen Z, short is sweet. Both generations thrive on multitasking. With their attention continually shifting, long marketing messages, whether video, image or text, will be ignored. Nevertheless, for video and other visual marketing formats, creative and production costs can be managed better than ever before. New tools and templates for video production and editing enable small and midsized companies as well as global organizations to create professional work faster and with less expense. 

For more insights about Gen Z and Millennial media consumption, including which online platforms appeal most to each generation, please visit our Digital Marketing and Blog sections.