Are Teens Going Private on Social Media?

As social media gets more public, teens are taking their social lives private… 

  • With the algorithm in control of who sees public content, Gen Z teens are finding ways to take back control of who sees their posts
  • Teens are more likely than young adults or older consumers to keep their social accounts private
  • They’re using private accounts and features to share more freely with smaller, carefully chosen audiences
These days, even if Gen Z is posting with only their friends in mind, the algorithm may have other plans. A post intended for a small circle can easily end up in front of strangers, and there’s always the possibility that someone they never meant to reach—a teacher, future employer, parent, or random TikTok commenter—will stumble across it. After years of watching other people go viral or face backlash over one single post, Gen Z is incredibly aware of just how quickly content can travel beyond its intended audience. But instead of giving up on posting altogether, Gen Z is being more selective about where, how, and with whom they share their content.  YPulse has said before that Gen Z young adults aren’t posting online as carefreely as Millennials once did—and now we’re seeing that same caution emerge even earlier with today’s teens. That’s why in YPulse’s Social Media Behavior survey, we ask 13-39-year-olds about their evolving social media behavior, including how selective they’re being with their social accounts....

Enter your colleagues' emails (max 10) to invite them to sign up for a YPulse account. We'll send them a message and let them know you invited them.

plus-circle Created with Sketch Beta.

Are these emails correct? If so, click Submit Invitation(s)?