Business
New Research from Sprout Social Finds Social Media is the Top Place Gen Z Turns to for Search, Surpassing Traditional Search Engines
More than 1 in 3 consumers across age groups prefer searching on social platforms first for product reviews and recommendations76% of users say social content
About this update from Sprout Social, Inc
[{"type":"text","content":"More than 1 in 3 consumers across age groups prefer searching on social platforms first for product reviews and recommendations76% of users say social content influenced a purchase in the last six months, including 90% of Gen ZRespondents say social platforms deliver net-positive impacts on their mental health, financial decisions, and social lives CHICAGO, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gen Z isn’t just spending more time on social media; they’re turning to it first when they need answers, which is shaping how they live, learn, and shop. According to new research from Sprout Social (NASDAQ: SPT), an industry-leading provider of cloud-based social media management software, this generation now prefers social media over traditional search engines. This shift is fueled by a growing trust in social, especially among younger generations, who largely report meaningful benefits from their time on social platforms, including improved mental health, financial literacy, and social connections. Sprout Social’s Q2 2025 Pulse Survey, conducted by Glimpse, surveyed more than 2,200 social users across the US, UK, and Australia. The research finds that when looking for information, 41% of Gen Z turn to social platforms first, making social now the #1 place they search, ahead of traditional search engines (32%), chat-based AI tools (11%), and friends/family (9%). In addition, 37% of consumers across age groups prefer to go to social first when searching for product reviews and recommendations, while 35% prefer to use it first to find local restaurants and activities, underscoring social’s prominent role in discovery and commerce. This discoverability has a real bottom-line impact for businesses, as 76% of respondents say content on social (e.g., ads, influencer posts, brand content) has influenced a purchase in the past six months, with this number rising to 90% among Gen Z and 84% among Millennials. “Largely driven by Gen Z, social is becoming the new search engine,” said Scott Morris, chief marketing officer of Sprout Social. “This shift is transformative, not just for social media, but for commerce and business overall, because it’s changing how consumers discover products and brands. For marketers, this means making social the front-line channel for building awareness, managing perception, engaging with customers, and receiving feedback. ...