The DCDX 2nd Annual Gen Z Screen Time Report 2022 - Shared by WorldLine Technology

2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN
Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN
GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPOR
GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT
SECOND A N N U A L
GEN Z
SCREEN TIME REPORT
December 2022
© 2022 dcdx | All Rights Reserved.

GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPOR
2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN
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Want to compare your

Report Outline screen time to Gen Z?
PART ONE: OVERALL
PART TWO: APPS
PART THREE: CATEGORIES
PART FOUR: NEXT

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Glossary
Weekly Average Screen Time (WAST)
WAST is defined as the average of the time spent per week per person.
WAST is used to measure app usage.
Daily Average Screen Time (DAST)

DAST is defined as the average of the time spent per day per
person. DAST is only used to describe overall phone usage.
% in Top 10
% in Top 10 is defined as the percentage of submissions in which the
application in question was listed in the Top 10 most used apps.
Pickups
A pickup is defined as an action taken to unlock your phone and explicitly
interact with it - ie opening an application. Unlocking your phone and
closing it without opening an app does not count as a pickup.

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Part One

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Overall Gen Z Screen Time

Distribution of screen time submissions from 2022
DAILY AVERAGE SCREEN TIME 20% Legend
6:41:20
2022
2021
+0.7% 15%
% of respondents
from 2021 screen time data
Daily median screen time Weekly average screen time

from 2021 data from 2021 data 10%
6:20:30 +6% 46:36:07 +0.4%

5%
In 2022, Gen Z median screen time increased 6%.
2022 average daily screen time did not see significant changes from the 2021 study. At over 6
and a half hours of mobile screen time per day, Gen Z in 2022 was 81% above the global screen 0%
time average, and 96% above the US screen time average, with comparison data coming from 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
external sources. The median screen time in 2022 for Gen Z saw a noteworthy boost of 6%,
signaling a meaningful increase in phone use for Gen Z.
daily average screen time (hours)

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Overall Pickups and Notifications

While pickups were slightly up this year compared to last, notifications were down 8%, a noticeable and sizable difference from last year.
Notifications seem to not have a direct impact on overall screen time, whereas pickups seem to directly correlate to the rise and fall of screen time.
PICKUPS NOTIFICATIONS
distribution of daily pickup averages Gen Z daily average distribution of daily notification averages
40 40
Gen Z daily average
167 +5%
frequency of occurrences
frequency of occurrences
223
from 2021 data
30 30
-8%
Most popular day from 2021 data
20 SATURDAY: 233 20 Most popular day

Weekly average FRIDAY: 263
10
1146 +4% 10
from 2021 data
Weekly average
Average screen time per pickup
-4%
1562 -8%
0
0 44 88 132 176 220 264 308 352 0:02:24 from 2021 data
0
0 85 170 255 340 425 510 595 680 765
from 2021 data
average pickups per day average notifications per day

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Age Differences 15-20

DAILY AVERAGE SCREEN TIME
7:12:24 Legend
Young Gen Z'ers, similar to last year, are spending significantly more time on their 7:26:00 2022
mobile devices than older Gen Z'ers. That time, primarily, is being spent on their top
apps, with TikTok, Instagram and YouTube atop the 15-20 year-old top app 6:06:42 2021
21-27
ranking, compared to Instagram, TikTok and iMessage for 21-27 year-olds. 5:51:17
0 2 4 6 8
DAST PICKUPS NOTIFICATIONS Hours
15-20 15-20 15-20

PICKUPS
7:12:24 170 242 15-20
170
166
21-27 21-27 21-27 163
21-27
151
6:06:42 163 202 0 50 100 150 200
TOP 3 APPS BY WAST NOTIFICATIONS

242
15-20 21-27 15-20
266
TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Instagram, TikTok, iMessage
202
2021 Apps 2021 Apps 21-27
217
TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat Instagram, TikTok, iMessage
0 100 200 300

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DAILY AVERAGE SCREEN TIME

Male
6:09:48 Legend
Gender Differences
6:36:23 Female Gen Z'ers are spending significantly more time than male Gen Z'ers
2022
on their mobile devices in 2022, a much larger difference from last year's
7:03:10 2021 data. Female pickups are also noticeably higher, while male notifications
Female
6:40:17 dropped heavily year over year. Regarding top apps, the #1 app for females
was TikTok and YouTube for males. The data suggests that there are
0 2 4 6 8 significant differences between how different genders use their devices.
Hours
PICKUPS DAST PICKUPS NOTIFS

150 Male Male Male
Male
Female
151
179
6:09:48 150 205
165 Female Female Female
0 50 100 150 200
7:03:10 179 235
NOTIFICATIONS
Male
205 TOP 3 APPS BY WAST
247
Female Male
235 TikTok, Instagram, iMessage YouTube, Instagram, iMessage
Female
233 2021 Apps 2021 Apps
0 50 100 150 200 250 TikTok, Instagram, iMessage Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat

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MAXES AND MINS TOP 5% AVERAGES

The highest and lowest data points in the 2022 submissions.
EXTREMES
Average data points from the highest 5% of submissions by screen time.
DAST PICKUPS NOTIFS Avg. weekly screen time DAST Daily pickups Daily notifs
Max Max Max 93:01:30 13:18:10 157 252
EXTREMES
19:14:00 350 680 App #1 - TikTok App #2 - YouTube
Min Min Min Weekly Screen Time Weekly Screen Time
01:25:00 55 33 19:46:30 8:40:00
BOTTOM 5% AVERAGES
Average data points from the lowest 5% of submissions by screen time.
Avg. weekly screen time DAST Daily pickups Daily notifs
16:25:00 2:20:10 79 124
App #1 - Messages App #2 - YouTube
Weekly Screen Time Weekly Screen Time
3:22:50 2:34:50
Screenshots of real submissions from 2022 data set

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SCREEN TIME LIMITS The Limiting Factor

Limits are intentional time restrictions placed on app screen time
A 50% increase year-over-year in limit use
30%
DAST without limits showcases that Gen Z is becoming more
aware of their phone usage, and
6:39:49 -1%
from 2021 data
intentionality around limiting these behaviors
is high.
DAST with limits However, these limits were highly ineffective in

of Gen Z set limits reducing overall screen time among Gen Z.
on their phone +50% 6:44:53 +14%
from 2021 data
Similar to their behaviors around ad-
usage in 2022. from 2021 data avoidance, Gen Z are either "gamifying" the
limit setting and finding ways to avoid them,
or effectively ignoring them entirely.
INSTAGRAM SNAPCHAT TIKTOK TWITTER While some apps saw higher limit use this year
as well, these apps did not see their overall
15% +32% 8% -9%
from 2021 data 7% -9%
from 2021 data 5% +128%
from 2021 data
screen time decrease - they did the opposite.
from 2021 data
% with limits % with limits % with limits % with limits

Does this say more about weaknesses in the
design of Apple’s limit feature or more about
the addictive nature of the apps themselves?

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Part Two

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TOP 10 APPS USED BY GEN Z IN 2022: OVERVIEW STATS

An overview of the top 10 most used apps by Gen Z in 2022, ranked by their weekly average screen time.
Applications WAST* % in Top 10 % in Top 3 WAST* in Top 3
Instagram 6:14:07 +11% 94% +3% 72% +14% 7:45:15 +4%

PROFILES NEXT
TikTok 5:56:04 +11% 55% -9% 41% -13% 13:20:20 +23%

iMessage 4:35:27 +6% 95% +2% 55% +24% 6:27:50 -8%
YouTube 3:37:00 +13% 45% -3% 24% +13% 13:56:53 +7%
Snapchat 2:16:14 -38% 62% -12% 21% -46% 6:46:21 -13%
Safari 2:05:49 +12% 79% +13% 16% +9% 5:32:10 -5%
Twitter 1:19:51 +50% 34% +50% 10% +100% 8:28:11 +2%
Maps 1:13:55 +94% 35% +31% 8% +64% 8:04:40 +28%
Spotify 0:49:27 +28% 43% +19% 4% -9% 6:33:30 +32%
Facebook 0:39:53 +101% 19% +19% 7% +264% 5:50:15 +4%
from 2021 from 2021 from 2021 from 2021
*WAST = Weekly Average Screen Time
WAST in Top 3 = Weekly Average Screen Time when the app was in the top 3 most-used apps

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Overall Gen Z Screen Time Rankings
#1 INSTAGRAM
Rankings Weekly average screen time
#1 6:14:07 +11%
from 2021 data
% in Top 10
#2 94% +3%
from 2021 data
WAST* when in Top 10
#3 6:39:32 +8%
from 2021 data


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APP PROFILE: INSTAGRAM
MORE STATS
Average weekly pickups Of the Top 10, % In Top 5
104 +48%
94%
Breaking down Instagram use from 2021 data
Average weekly notifications When in Top 10, % In Top 3
Weekly average screentime when... 102 -6%

from 2021 data
77%
In top 10 apps
6:39:32 Legend Average notifications per pickup When in Top 10, % In Top 2
In top 5 apps
5:37:47
7:15:09 2022 0.98 -37%
from 2021 data 53%
7:37:38 Average screen time/pickup When in Top 10, % In Top 1
In top 3 apps
7:45:15
7:29:21
2021
0:03:36 -25%
from 2021 data
25%
8:51:31
In top 2 apps
8:20:15
11:24:32
Gen Z Age and Gender Differences: Instagram
Top app used
10:28:03 Legend
0 5 10 15 Female
95%
98% 2022
% of time app appeared in user's Top X 91%
Male 2021
94% 81%
% in Top 10
91% 0 25 50 75 100
% in Top 5
88% % in Top 10
82%
% in Top 3
72%
63% 15-20
93%
90%
% in Top 2
50%
49% 21-27
94%
24% 92%
% as #1
23% 0 25 50 75 100
0 25 50 75 100 % in Top 10

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5:30:43
6:44:09
Screen Time 6:47:34
6:52:04
Legend
6:14:07
0 2 4 6 8 Male
average hours per week
60 Female
143
Notifications 120 15-20 y/o
77
102 21-27 y/o
91
Overall
108
Pickups 126
79
104
0 50 100 150
average per week

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Instagram continues its dominance
and relevance as Gen Z's #1 app.
Instagram builds on its #1 ranking from last year in our 2022 Gen
Z Screen Time Report, with higher weekly average screen time
(+10%), more with Instagram in their top 10 apps (+3%), and
higher screen time of power users. The biggest signal,
additionally, for Instagram's continued dominance with Gen Z, is
the increase in pickups year over year. Instagram ranked #3 the
overall in pickups, with Gen Z'ers averaging 15 pickups per day
on the platform, up 48% from last year.
x factor So what does it all mean?
Amidst platform drama, surging new apps, and layoffs affecting nearly all top tech companies,
Male Gen Z'ers also showed higher use year over year, with 91%
Instagram seemed to show no signs of slowing down as the #1 most-used Gen Z application.
of Male Gen Z'ers having Instagram in their top 10, compared to
After pushback from the Instagram community around the app's seemingly TikTok-esque
81% last year, alongside a 13% increase in pickups.
attempted transformation, Instagram appears stronger than ever, with young Gen Z'ers
showing highly habitual behaviors with the app.
As a sign of the apps continued relevance with future

generations, young Gen Z (15-20 y/o) usage increased as well,

As for Instagram's future, signs show the app becoming more and more of a communication
with a 42% increase in pickups year over year, alongside a 9%
platform. With pickups at an all time high and screen time per pickup dropping, more people
increase in screen time.
are jumping on and jumping off of Instagram this year than last. As Instagram launches new
features aimed at group communication, we expect this trending behavior to continue into next
Overall, 50% of Gen Z'ers had Instagram in their top 2 most-
year as Instagram seeks to become the most widely used communication platform in the US.
used apps, with the next highest app at 39%.

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#2 TIKTOK
#2 5:56:04 +11%
from 2021 data
% in Top 10
#5 55% -9%
from 2021 data
#1 10:52:47 +22% from 2021 data


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APP PROFILE: TIKTOK
MORE STATS
Average weekly pickups When in Top 10, % In Top 5
31 +140% from 2021 data 90%

Breaking down TikTok use:
6 +218%from 2021 data 75%

Weekly average screentime when... Average notifications per pickup When in Top 10, % In Top 2
In top 10 apps
8:55:55
10:52:47 Legend 0.20 +33%
from 2021 data 72%
Average screen time/pickup When in Top 10, % In Top 1
12:53:42 2022
In top 5 apps
10:11:53
13:20:20 2021
0:11:24 -53%
from 2021 data 52%
In top 3 apps
10:49:09
In top 2 apps
13:33:03 Gen Z Age and Gender Differences: TikTok
12:17:02
Top app used
14:40:45 65% Legend
Female
13:02:12 69%
2022
0 5 10 15
Male
40%
% of time app appeared in user's Top X 48% 2021
0 25 50 75
% in Top 10
55% % in Top 10
60%
% in Top 5 49%
54% 15-20
57%
41% 69%
% in Top 3
47% 21-25
52%
39% 51%
% in Top 2
36% 0 25 50 75
% as #1
28% % in Top 10
31%
0 20 40 60

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APP PROFILE: TIKTOK

3:24:43
7:40:51
Screen Time 6:47:36
4:56:00
5:56:04 Legend
0 2 4 6 8
average hours per week Male
1
10 Female
Notifications 7
6 15-20 y/o
6
21-27 y/o
13
41
Overall
Pickups 37
25
31
0 10 20 30 40 50
average per week

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APP PROFILE: TIKTOK

TikTok users drop, but use
skyrockets for Gen Z in 2022.
While the number of Gen Z'ers with TikTok in their top 10 dropped from
60% in 2021 to 55% in 2022, the average screen time when in the top 10
rose nearly 2 hours, up to about 11 hours per week. Perhaps the most
astonishing change year over year for TikTok was its increase in pickups,
with the average person picking it up 31 times per week, up 140% year
over year. Interestingly, this led to screen time per pickup to be cut more the
than half, from over 24 minutes per pickup last year to over 11 minutes
per pickup this year.
This year, TikTok solidified its role (for now) with young people. The hype and FOMO
Female Gen Z'ers proved much bigger users, with an average of nearly 8 of 2021 users has been refined to a cohort of highly intentional, highly entertained
hours per week compared to the ~3.5 hours per week of males. Young users that are spending nearly 11 hours per week on the app. TikTok in 2022 has
Gen Z'ers also showed more use than older Gen Z'ers, with an average of become more habitual as well, an always-present entertainment platform for the
under 7 hours per week compared to ~5 hours for older Gen Z'ers. seemingly avoided moments of "boredom" for Gen Z.

For an app that knowingly controls so much time, the percent of Gen TikTok's future is bright, so long as it evades a ban. While competition struggles,
Z'ers with limits on TikTok was nearly the same, dropping from 8% last TikTok's ads business is booming, doubling revenues from 2021. Amid this year’s
year to just over 7% this year, a sign that people either are deleting the biggest headlines, including being the search engine for Gen Z, TikTok Now's push
app, or using it frequently. Of those with TikTok in their top 10 most used, to compete with BeReal, and their struggle with e-commerce, one thing seems
75% had it in their top 3 most used, with 52% as their most used app, abundantly clear from this year's data: TikTok has an unwavering grip on young
almost double the next closest (YouTube) at 31%. audiences, and on culture itself.

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#3 IMESSAGE
#3 4:32:27 +6%
from 2021 data
% in Top 10
#1 95% +2%
from 2021 data
#4 4:51:21 +5%
from 2021 data


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APP PROFILE: IMESSAGE
MORE STATS
274 +51%
from 2021 data
83%
Weekly average screentime when...
4:51:21
605 +12%
from 2021 data
57%
In top 10 apps Legend Average notifications per pickup When in Top 10, % In Top 2
4:37:31
In top 5 apps
5:55:35
6:04:19
2022 2.2 -26%
from 2021 data 39%
6:27:50 2021
In top 3 apps
In top 2 apps
7:01:12
7:22:15 0:01:00 -30%
from 2021 data
16%
8:30:19
9:09:25
Top app used
11:07:55 Gen Z Age and Gender Differences: iMessage
0 5 10 15
92% Legend
% of time app appeared in user's Top X Female
96%
2022
% in Top 10
95% 98%
Male
93% 88% 2021
% in Top 5
78% 0 25 50 75 100
71% % in Top 10
% in Top 3
55%
44% 97%
15-20
37% 94%
% in Top 2
28% 92%
21-27
% as #1
16% 92%
13% 0 25 50 75 100
0 25 50 75 100
% in Top 10

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APP PROFILE: IMESSAGE

3:53:57
5:04:11
Screen Time 4:57:10
4:32:49
Legend
4:35:27
0 2 4 6 Male
577 Female
627
Notifications 641 15-20 y/o
566
605 21-27 y/o
239 Overall
297
Pickups 294
251
274
0 250 500 750
average per week

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APP PROFILE: IMESSAGE alicia <3
More messages, more pickups

and more texting in 2022.
iMessage stayed put as the #3 overall app in our 2022 Gen Z
Screen Time rankings, with consistency of use increasing across
nearly all splits. Overall screen time was slightly, up, and iMessage
held firm to its #1 spot when ranked by % of appearances in top 10,
with 95% of Gen Z iPhone users having iMessage in their top 10. The
biggest jump came in pickups, with an average of 274 pickups per the
week compared to 181 last year, up over 51%. Notifications also
increased 12%, a big jump compared to decreases in nearly every
other top 10 app. While social media platforms tend to get the bulk of the conversation, it seems clear
from the year over year data that iMessage is heavily overlooked as a main staple
Usage among male Gen Z'ers increased substantially, with 98% of of the Gen Z app diet. With pickups up more than 50%, iMessage has shown true
male submissions this year having iMessage in their top 10, resilience amid attempts to cut into the communication behaviors of Gen Z from
compared to 88% last year. Screen time also increased for males other apps like Instagram and Snapchat. Texting is more alive than ever for Gen Z.
by an average of about 1 hour per week. Usage among young Gen
Z'ers also increased, compared to slight but non-significant drops iMessage quietly continues to innovate, as new iOS updates bring new and
in usage among older Gen Z'ers. welcomed changes to the way Gen Z'ers use their phones. As Apple's privacy
changes drive massive ad revenue losses across tech, Apple's ad business grows.
Most impressively, appearances in top 5, top 3, top 2 and top 1 iMessage's future is Apple's future; as the single most dominant Apple app, product
most used were all up, with 55% of Gen Z having iMessage in their and feature changes on iMessage are likely to be heavy predictors of Apple's
top 3 most-used apps in 2022, and 37% in their top 2. direction. For reaching Gen Z, this is a platform that is hard to reach, inherently
private, but undoubtedly undervalued.

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#4 YOUTUBE
#4 3:37:00 +13%
from 2021 data
% in Top 10
#6 45% -3%
from 2021 data
#2 8:07:09 +17% from 2021 data


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APP PROFILE: YOUTUBE
MORE STATS
16 +125% from 2021 data 61%

Breaking down YouTube use Average weekly notifications
5 -36%
When in Top 10, % In Top 3
from 2021 data 53%

Weekly average screentime when... Average notifications per pickup When in Top 10, % In Top 2
In top 10 apps
8:07:09
6:56:27
Legend 0.3 -67%
from 2021 data 45%
12:15:12 2022
In top 5 apps
In top 3 apps
11:33:25
13:56:53 2021
0:13:38 -49%
from 2021 data 31%
13:03:11
In top 2 apps
15:45:25
14:55:56
Gen Z Age and Gender Differences: YouTube
Top app used
19:58:00 Legend
23:17:09 Female
32%
36% 2022
0 5 10 15 20 25
Male
62%
% of time app appeared in user's Top X 60% 2021
45% 0 25 50 75
% in Top 10
46% % in Top 10
% in Top 5
27%
30% 15-20
47%
24% 51%
% in Top 3
21% 21-27
42%
20% 41%
% in Top 2
17% 0 20 40 60
% as #1
14% % in Top 10
7%
0 10 20 30 40 50

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APP PROFILE: YOUTUBE

5:56:25
2:00:29
Screen Time 5:10:17
1:55:11 Legend
3:37:00
0 2 4 6
Male
Female
8
4
6
15-20 y/o
Notifcations
4
21-27 y/o
5
21 Overall
11
Pickups 23
8
16
0 5 10 15 20 25
average per week

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Where do you use

APP PROFILE: YOUTUBE YouTube more?
n=1013 respondents
Phone 61%
YouTube rises up the ranks
Computer
as content changes forms. 27%
iPad/tablet 7%
YouTube moved up from #5 to #4 overall in this year's rankings, due
in part mostly from Snapchat's fall, but also helped by increased I don't use it 5%
usage. Average weekly screen time was up 13% year over year, and
while the % of Gen Z'ers with YouTube in their top 10 apps did not
significantly change, screen time was high when the app did dcdx ‘The Loop’ Gen Z Panel, November 28, 2022
appear in the top 10 (#2 overall). Most significantly, similar to other the
apps, average pickups more than doubled year over year to 16
weekly pickups from 7. Screen time per pickup noticeably fell to just
under 14 minutes, from 27 minutes last year. YouTube holds a key advantage over the other top apps in this year's rankings, as roughly
a third of Gen Z'ers use YouTube on desktop/tablet more than on mobile. Despite this,
YouTube continues its male dominant user base, with 62% of males YouTube still stands as the #4 app overall in this year's rankings. As YouTube continues to
having YouTube in their top 10 compared to 32% of females, and be challenged by TikTok, YouTube Shorts has been able to keep some of the demand for
average screen time for males at just under 6 hours per week, 3x as short-form content on the platform. YouTube's biggest challenge, on mobile, seems to be
much as females. Male screen time, while higher both years, is also the female audience, a similar but opposite challenge that faces TikTok.
up an average of 2 hours per week from last year.
YouTube new and upcoming features seem to indicate the platform's focus on bringing
Young Gen Z'ers also continue to be YouTube's power users, with more community and creator-focused elements into the app, with community polling, live
38% of young Gen Z having YouTube in their top 10 compared to co-streaming, creator handles, and more. The future of YouTube mobile appears to be
15% of older. Pickups are 3x as much with young Gen Z'ers as well. intertwined with TikTok's fate, but nevertheless shows high potential as the "TikTok
replacement" should the ByteDance owned app ever be banned in the US.

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#5 SNAPCHAT
#5 2:16:14 -38%
from 2021 data
% in Top 10
#4 62% -12%
from 2021 data
#10 3:40:23 -30% from 2021 data


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APP PROFILE: SNAPCHAT
MORE STATS
108 -11% 62%

Breaking down Snapchat use
from 2021 data
Weekly average screentime when...

118 -46% from 2021 data 34%
Average notifications per pickup When in Top 10, % In Top 2
In top 10 apps
3:40:23
5:15:05 Legend 1.1 -40%
from 2021 data 15%
In top 5 apps
8:24:16 Average screen time/pickup When in Top 10, % In Top 1
7:27:36 2022
In top 3 apps
6:46:21
7:47:54 2021
0:01:16 -31%
from 2021 data
6%
8:40:48
In top 2 apps
9:18:22 Gen Z Age and Gender Differences: Snapchat
11:34:15
Top app used Legend
12:24:55 Female
63%
0 5 10 15 78% 2022
60%
% of time app appeared in user's Top X Male
60% 2021
% in Top 10
62% 0 20 40 60 80
70% % in Top 10
% in Top 5
38%
51% 15-20
66%
21% 73%
% in Top 3
39% 58%
21-27
9% 65%
% in Top 2
27% 0 25 50 75
% as #1
4% % in Top 10
12%
0 25 50 75

SECOND
GEN Z
A N N U A L
SCREEN TIME REPORT
APP PROFILE: SNAPCHAT

1:46:04
2:37:07
Screen Time 3:01:19
1:41:53
Legend
2:16:14
Male
0 1 2 3 4
Female
131
117 15-20 y/o
Notifications 150
79 21-27 y/o
118
Overall
98
113
Pickups 136
77
108
0 50 100 150
average per week

SECOND
GEN Z
A N N U A L
SCREEN TIME REPORT
APP PROFILE: SNAPCHAT Q: What are your honest thoughts on using Snapchat?
DCDX’s ‘The Loop’ Gen Z Panel, November 23, 2022
Snap in danger as usage sees Only use it for group

chats. Sending pics
back and forth is
It's a boring app now
might delete it
I like looking at stories.
But that is about it.
It was more of a high
school/middle school
thing, now I just have it
to see what ppl do
It's 2022 not 2012
sharp decline with Gen Z.

meaningless
Snapchat was the biggest mover in this year's 2022 Gen Z Screen Very repetitive with It's phased out for me. I eh kinda over it, will adults that use middle school energy
"streaks" and very only use it to message 2 download occasionally snapchat = red flag
Time Rankings, down from #4 to #5 overall this year, as screen time 2014-2016. idk how friends, infrequently but def no streaks or
people still use it anything no
was down 38% year over year to just over 2 hours and 15 minutes per
week on average. The % of Gen Z with Snap in their top 10 also
decreased from 70% down to under 62%, and appearances in the top To see the other 151 responses, click here
5, 3, 2 and 1 most-used apps all saw significant declines. While the
pickups increased for nearly every app in our top 10, Snap pickups
declined 11% down to 108 per week, and notifications also dropped
46% from 219 to 118 in 2022. Screen time per pickup dropped from 1
minute 50 seconds last year to 1 minute and 16 seconds this year as Snap has had a troublesome year, and it seems their challenges have no end in sight. Gen
well. Z'ers seem to be slowly but surely moving off the platform, with young Gen Z time spent
falling. Known by many Gen Z'ers as having "middle school energy", Snap faces a perception
Males had nearly the same % of people with Snap in their top 10 this problem, yes, but the data also shows a concerning story for its advertising business. Snap
year, but screen time was cut in half from nearly 3.5 hours per week has been heavily focused on their AR advertising, which, while showing promising results, is
last year to 1 hour and 45 minutes in 2022. not only affected by the time spent on the app, but also by its perception. Brands that are
looking to build long-lasting relationships with young audiences may be hesitant to
The most telling sign of Snap's future is its severe decline in young advertise on a platform widely accepted as the "middle school" app.
Gen Z usage; average weekly screen time of young Gen Z'ers is down
over 2 hours per week, alongside a weekly drop of 40 minutes per Snap's future is in jeopardy. A big bet on augmented reality can only pay off if the app grows
week of older Gen Z'ers. Young Gen Z pickups are down, and in popularity and perception, both of which are major struggles for Snap. 2023 may be the
notifications for young Gen Z are half of their 2021 numbers. year Snap thrives or dies.

SECOND
GEN Z
A N N U A L
SCREEN TIME REPORT
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY
FACEBOOK Do you use Facebook?

n=718 respondents
Yes, for groups 21%
Facebook makes a Yes, for social media 17%
comeback: will it last? Yes, for marketplace
No, I do not
10%
52%
Overall Rank
Weekly Avg. Screen Time (Hours) Breakdown
#10 +4
from 2021 data
dcdx's ‘The Loop’ Gen Z Panel, November 23, 2022
1
the
% in Top 10
x factor
19% +19%
from 2021 data
0.75
Marketplace and groups make
WAST* in Top 10
3:28:57 +68%
from 2021 data
0.5
Facebook's utility worthwhile.
Average Weekly Average Weekly 0.25 Perhaps the biggest surprise of this year's report is a top 10 appearance from
Pickups Notifications Facebook, the app commonly - or perhaps formerly - known as the boomer
app to Gen Z. But our recent Loop poll shows us that the story is not quite what
8 +153%
from 2021 data 4 +163%
from 2021 data
0
Male Female 15-20 21-27 Overall
it seems. Facebook is being used for niche reasons; both Marketplace and
Groups are components of Facebook usage. Groups continue to be a main
resource for older Gen Z'ers on the apartment hunt, younger Gen Z'ers in the
*WAST = Weekly Average Screen Time college acceptance process, and still serve as a gathering place for memes.

SECOND
GEN Z
A N N U A L
SCREEN TIME REPORT
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY
Twitter
What does Elon's Twitter
mean for Gen Z?
Overall Rank
Weekly Avg. Screen Time (Hours) Breakdown
#7 +0
from 2021 data
2.5
the
% in Top 10
x factor
34% +20%
from 2021 data
2
Twitter use surges among

WAST* in Top 10 1.5
3:57:24 +25%
from 2021 data 1
older and male Gen Z'ers.
Average Weekly Average Weekly Some heavy year end drama with Twitter saw many people tweeting
0.5 goodbye to the platform, but use has only gone up for young audiences
Pickups Notifications
in 2022. While use from older Gen Z'ers is up heavily, use from younger
19 +186%
from 2021 data
20 -65%
from 2021 data
0
Gen Z'ers actually fell year over year. The platform's future is perhaps the
most in-question in this year's screen time report, due mainly to the
departure of advertisers from the platform following Musk's takeover.
WAST in Top 10 = Weekly Average Screen Time when the app was in the top 10 most-used apps 2023 will be a revealing year for Twitter's new monetization tactics.

SECOND
GEN Z
A N N U A L
SCREEN TIME REPORT
NEW AND NOTEWORTHY
BeReal
Is BeReal really
here to stay?
Overall Rank % in Top 10 Breakdown
#23 N/A
from 2021 data
Female
Male 2.3%
21.5%
the
% in Top 10 15-20 19.0%
x factor
14% 21-27 7.8%
WAST* in Top 10
0 5 10 15 20 25
BeReal faces challenges
1:12:08 Weekly Average Screen Time (Hours)
0.25
for traditional advertising.
0.2 A top 25 appearance for an app not designed to control screen time is
Average Weekly Average Weekly
0.15 very impressive for BeReal, a newcomer in this year's 2022 Gen Z
Pickups Notifications
0.1 Screen Time Report. BeReal's biggest challenge in 2023 will be its
10 24 0.05
0
ability to monetize - it has shown its ability to stay relevant, and now
its challenge, if it aims to pursue traditional advertising, will be finding
a way to increase screen time. See more on BeReal here.

SECOND
GEN Z
A N N U A L
SCREEN TIME REPORT
Part Three

SECOND
GEN Z
A N N U A L
SCREEN TIME REPORT
CATEGORIES
Overall Ranking Overall Ranking
#9 -1
from 2021 data
#13 +11
from 2021 data
% in Top 10 % in Top 10
43% +19% 11% +0%

from 2021 data from 2021 data
WAST* in Top 10 WAST* in Top 10

1:55:43 +8% 2:46:00 +93%
from 2021 data
from 2021 data
Avg. Weekly Pickups Avg. Weekly Pickups
46 +27% 13 +74%
% of 15-20 y/o with Top 10 % of 15-20 y/o with Top 10

appearance vs 21-27 y/o appearance vs 21-27 y/o Female Spotify users in 2022 doubled their screen time from 2021, increased
pickups by 54%, and seemed to be the driving force behind Spotify's continued
40% vs 46% 14% vs 8% dominance as the go-to music streaming app for Gen Z. Apple Music, however,
appeared to be more favorable to the younger Gen Z audience segment, and
*WAST = Weekly Average Screen Time poses a danger to Spotify's Gen Z reign.

SECOND
GEN Z
A N N U A L
SCREEN TIME REPORT
CATEGORIES
Overall Ranking Overall Ranking Overall Ranking
#12 -1
from 2021 data
#27 +13
from 2021 data
#80 -56from 2021 data
% in Top 10 % in Top 10 % in Top 10

13% -2% 5% +445% 2% -55%
from 2021 data from 2021 data from 2021 data
WAST* in Top 10 WAST* in Top 10 WAST* in Top 10

2:55:34 -25% 2:30:20 -67% 1:21:00 -66%
% of 15-20 y/o with Top 10 % of 15-20 y/o with Top 10 % of 15-20 y/o with Top 10
appearance vs 21-27 y/o appearance vs 21-27 y/o appearance vs 21-27 y/o
14% vs 12% 3% vs 8% 3% vs 8%
Amidst the craze for new content, a new ad-supported streaming tier,
and some breakout shows from 2022, Netflix, alongside its competitors, all % in Top 10 WAST* in Top 10 % in Top 10 WAST* in Top 10
dropped in time spent streaming on mobile from their active mobile users.
Perhaps this is due in part to a shift to other devices, but also is a bad sign 2% 1:13:00 1% 2:19:00
for Netflix's recent mobile gaming push, which is further explored below. *WAST = Weekly Average Screen Time

SECOND
GEN Z
A N N U A L
SCREEN TIME REPORT
CATEGORIES

#15 +27 from 2021 data
#19 +6 from 2021 data #59 -9 from 2021 data
1% +0% from 2021 data

5% +82% from 2021 data
1% -55% from 2021 data
32:52:00 +381% from 2021 data

4:47:50 -6% from 2021 data
3:42:00 +51% from 2021 data
Overall Ranking Overall Ranking
#37 NA from 2021 data

#24 +75 from 2021 data
% in Top 10 % in Top 10
1% NA 5% +173%
from 2021 data
from 2021 data
Nearly all mobile games were up in this year's screen time report, a sign of WAST* in Top 10 WAST* in Top 10
gaming's continued health as an interest for Gen Z. Yet overall, these games
fall far behind the strength of social media as a category, and show that 9:07:00 NA from 2021 data 3:00:10 +394% from 2021 data
gaming has not entirely become as mobile-friendly as many developers had

hoped. High WAST in Top 10's show that while not many are mobile gaming, *WAST = Weekly Average Screen Time
NA = no appearance/not applicable
those who do spend high amounts of time in-game on mobile.

SECOND
GEN Z
A N N U A L
SCREEN TIME REPORT
CATEGORIES
r/place
GroupMe Discord Reddit

Ranking Ranking Ranking
#34 -14 #26 -13 #36 -26

from 2021 data
8% -29% 7% -39% 8% +36%

1:07:07 -29% 1:55:08 -32% 1:03:27 -88%

% of 15-20 y/o with Top 10 % of 15-20 y/o with Top 10 % of 15-20 y/o with Top 10
appearance vs 21-27 y/o appearance vs 21-27 y/o appearance vs 21-27 y/o
10% vs 6% 10% vs 4% 9% vs 8% One of the biggest surprises from this year's data was Reddit's big drop in
mobile use among Gen Z. This was paralleled by a significant drop off from
*WAST = Weekly Average Screen Time Discord, both of which had top 15 appearances last year, and now each fall
out of the top 25. Perhaps, at least for Reddit, this could be a shift from
mobile to PC, but it seems that these apps commonly referred to as
"community"-centric all took hard falls in 2022.

SECOND
GEN Z
A N N U A L
SCREEN TIME REPORT
CATEGORIES
#32 +57 #53 -7 #136 -92


6% +218% 4% +0% 1% +0%
1:40:43 +97% 1:09:00 -24% 0:55:00 -86%

Avg. Weekly Pickups Avg. Weekly Pickups Avg. Weekly Pickups
2.1 +151% .77 +1% .18 -71%

Hinge was a standout app in this year's screen time report, making a *WAST = Weekly Average Screen Time
massive jump against its competitors. This surge may be telling of the ways
in which young people are seeking deeper, more meaningful relationships.
With Tinder considered by many Gen Z'ers as the hookup app, Hinge has
taken on the role as an app designed to help young people find
relationships, and it seems from the data that those types of relationships
are becoming more desirable in 2022.

SECOND
GEN Z
A N N U A L
SCREEN TIME REPORT
Part Four

SECOND
GEN Z
A N N U A L
SCREEN TIME REPORT
the
x factor
The Road Ahead for Gen Z
In 2022, we saw Gen Z become more intentional and In 2022, Gen Z rejected advances from TikTok to copy BeReal with 2022 showed us that pushing users to spend more time on their phone
more aware of how they used their devices, setting more TikTok Now, and those who wanted to use TikTok for does not need to be the main solution to monetization. Gen Z showed us
limits, reducing their notifications, and widening the gap entertainment did so at a much higher rate this year than last. This in 2022 that now more than ever, they hold an equal if not greater
between their top apps and the ones that followed. We year we saw Gen Z using the platforms they wanted to use, for the power in the push and pull relationship between platforms and their
also saw this awareness fail to translate into a reduction purposes they wanted to use them. users. 2022 has shown us that brands and platforms pursuing their
in time spent, as pickups skyrocketed on top apps, limits purpose and promise may find profit in more sustainable ways.
were ignored and notification drops seemed to have no And this year's tech advances, amid a frightening economic
effect on time spent. outlook, raised even more questions about tech's future. BeReal, In 2023, brands and advertisers will need to get more creative, more
one of the biggest noisemakers for Gen Z in 2022, asked a critical innovative and more disruptive. We will see the rapid evolution of
The apps atop this year's list have one main objective: to question without needing to say a word: how would an app, platforms like BeReal, Twitter and Snap as feature-focused
be used frequently. The more time spent on screen, the designed to be picked up and put down, be able to monetize and monetization will demand more frequent innovation. Instagram, TikTok
more attractive the app is to advertisers - and therein survive in a social media world run by traditional advertising? and YouTube will also evolve, but as ad-dependent platforms, time
lies the ultimate struggle. Gen Z's attempt at self- spent will always be their north star metric, giving purpose-focused
regulation combats the draw of algorithms, enhanced Musk's takeover of Twitter played further into this question, as the platforms the edge to design more for what their users want, and less
daily through the use of artificial intelligence and platform's biggest advertisers began to flee, forcing Twitter to for what will directly deliver more profit.
machine learning. make decisions on how it may monetize its user base with features
like paid subscriptions. Similarly, Snap is watching their revenue 2023 will be the ultimate test for platforms to attract and retain their
Yet amid this struggle, we found a fascinating and growth come to a halt, and seeking alternative monetization Gen Z audiences. That test?
consequential theme. tactics around key features like Snap+, which is on track to rack up
4M+ subscribers by the end of 2022 and account for 350M of their Innovate or die.
Young people seemed to reject advances from 2023 revenue.
platforms to push beyond their intended purpose. They
rejected Instagram’s push into recommended feed
content, making it very clear that they, and all users,
Hinge, one of the biggest standouts in this year’s report, has
explicitly stated advertising would be antithetical to the platform's
Andrew Roth
wanted Instagram to be a place they could connect goals, and continues to thrive monetizing around subscriptions, Andrew Roth
with their friends, just like in its original days. boosts and roses. Founder and CEO, dcdx

SECOND
GEN Z
A N N U A L
SCREEN TIME REPORT
How can dcdx help apply these new findings?
start our conversation

SECOND
GEN Z
A N N U A L
SCREEN TIME REPORT
Demographics Polls
Cross-sectional Longitudinal Qualitative at scale
110 participants shared their screen time data over the 15 individuals were tracked throughout the course of the
course of 1 week in November of 2022. These 110 serve as year, serving as a comparison to the cross-sectional data
the base number for all data points in the report. to ensure the seasonal consistency of phone usage. What are your honest thoughts on
Snapchat?
110 total submissions 15 submissions per quarter Open ended question
All demographic data is self-reported All demographic data is self-reported 161 responses; 5.73% response rate
gender gender Do you use Facebook? Where do you use YouTube more?
Female: 59.1% Female: 9 Multiple choice question Multiple choice question
Male: 40.9% Male: 6 718 responses; 25.55% response rate 1013 responses; 27% response rate
Non-binary or n/a: 0% Non-binary or n/a: 0
20.75% (149) Yes, for groups 61% (621) Phone
No participants identified as non cis- No participants identified as non cis-
gendered, gender neutral, non- gendered, gender neutral, non- 17.41% (125) Yes, for social media 27% (271) Computer
binary, nor preferred not to answer. binary, nor preferred not to answer.
9.75% (70) Yes, for marketplace 7% (67) iPad/tablet
age age 4 52.09% (374) No, I do not 5% (54) I don't use it
20
Mean: 20.4 Mean: 19 3
Median: 20 15 Median: 18
2
Loop respondent estimated demographics
Mode: 20 10 Max: 23
Std. Dev: 2.4 Min: 15 1
Max: 27 5 Mode: 18
Min: 15 Range: 8 0 Estimation Method Sample Demographics
Range: 12 0 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Sampling method: Sample demographic estimates are collected
13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
Non-probabilistic sampling
race race quarterly and used to estimate both the
broader population data and enable subgroup
Asian or Pacific Islander: 32.2% Asian or Pacific Islander: 5 Type of non-probabilistic sampling: sampling estimates.
Hispanic or Latinx: 20.3% Hispanic or Latinx: 3 Layered river sampling
Black or African American: 5.1% Black or African American: 1 Age Gender identity
White: 42.4% White: 6 Average: 19.74 Non-binary: 4.17%
Other: 0% Other: 0 % of estimated respondents
between 14-27: Median: 19 Female: 60.42%
Range: 14-26 Male: 28.13%
location location 99%
23 US States with the largest 10 US States with the largest

representation from Texas, California
and New York.
representation from California
and Florida VIETNAM MARKET RESEARCH
x MARKET REPORT COMMUNITY

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2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN Z SCREEN TIME REPORT 2ND ANNUAL GEN

© 2022 dcdx | All Rights Reserved.

© 2022 dcdx | All Rights Reserved.

we are dcdx. a Gen Z research and strategy firm.

partners that trust dcdx to deliver

Want to compare your

PART ONE: OVERALL

PART TWO: APPS

PART THREE: CATEGORIES

PART FOUR: NEXT

© 2022 dcdx | All Rights Reserved.

Daily Average Screen Time (DAST)

© 2022 dcdx | All Rights Reserved.

© 2022 dcdx | All Rights Reserved.

Overall Gen Z Screen Time

Daily median screen time Weekly average screen time

6:20:30 +6% 46:36:07 +0.4%

© 2022 dcdx | All Rights Reserved.

Overall Pickups and Notifications

20 SATURDAY: 233 20 Most popular day

average pickups per day average notifications per day

© 2022 dcdx | All Rights Reserved.

Age Differences 15-20

15-20 15-20 15-20

TOP 3 APPS BY WAST NOTIFICATIONS

© 2022 dcdx | All Rights Reserved.

DAILY AVERAGE SCREEN TIME

PICKUPS DAST PICKUPS NOTIFS

© 2022 dcdx | All Rights Reserved.

MAXES AND MINS TOP 5% AVERAGES

© 2022 dcdx | All Rights Reserved.

SCREEN TIME LIMITS The Limiting Factor

A 50% increase year-over-year in limit use

DAST with limits However, these limits were highly ineffective in

% with limits % with limits % with limits % with limits

© 2022 dcdx | All Rights Reserved.

© 2022 dcdx | All Rights Reserved.

TOP 10 APPS USED BY GEN Z IN 2022: OVERVIEW STATS

Applications WAST* % in Top 10 % in Top 3 WAST* in Top 3

Instagram 6:14:07 +11% 94% +3% 72% +14% 7:45:15 +4%

TikTok 5:56:04 +11% 55% -9% 41% -13% 13:20:20 +23%

© 2022 dcdx | All Rights Reserved.

Overall Gen Z Screen Time Rankings

WAST* when in Top 10

*WAST = Weekly Average Screen Time

© 2022 dcdx | All Rights Reserved.

APP PROFILE: INSTAGRAM

Average weekly notifications When in Top 10, % In Top 3

Weekly average screentime when... 102 -6%

© 2022 dcdx | All Rights Reserved.

APP PROFILE: INSTAGRAM

© 2022 dcdx | All Rights Reserved.

APP PROFILE: INSTAGRAM

generations, young Gen Z (15-20 y/o) usage increased as well,

© 2022 dcdx | All Rights Reserved.

Overall Gen Z Screen Time Rankings

WAST* when in Top 10

#1 10:52:47 +22% from 2021 data

*WAST = Weekly Average Screen Time

© 2022 dcdx | All Rights Reserved.

APP PROFILE: TIKTOK

31 +140% from 2021 data 90%

6 +218%from 2021 data 75%