The Leger DGTL 2024 study has uncovered consumer behaviour shifts taking place in the digital landscape and it’s the new generations that are driving the transformation.
The 2024 DGTL study was compiled through an online study of more than 4,000 respondents, including over 3,000 Canadians over the age of 16. The research was conducted from September 5 to October 4 this year.
Canadians are registering for emerging platforms but then their usage of those platforms remain low. TikTok continues to expand its reach and is attracting more than just Gen Z. Facebook still leads with its older user base but is not used much by those 16 to 24, a group that prefers Instagram.
The top three platforms used by Canadians overall remain Facebook (82%), YouTube (63%) and Instagram (59%). But Leger looked at the data by age, it saw Facebook continuing to trend older; when respondents were asked which platform they would choose if they can only keep one, the nearly three-quarters (73%) of those who chose Facebook were over the age of 45.
Gen Z (ages 16 to 24) respondents reported having accounts on the following networks: YouTube (91%), Instagram (89%), Facebook (75%), Snapchat (73%) and TikTok and Pinterest tied at 60%.
Notable this year, WhatsApp, the preferred platform of first-generation immigrants, stands out because of the significant increase in the number of Canadians choose the platform as the one they would keep, up from 39% in 2022 to 47%.
In addition, 11% of Canadians now have a Threads account and 6% have a BeReal account. LinkedIn, up from 39% to 42% this year, and TikTok, up from 27% to 31%, also have more Canadian users this year than last. The study shows that X, formerly Twitter, is starting to have a negative shift in Canadian users from 37% last year to 34% in 2023.
An interesting point in this year’s Leger study is the growth of influencers, with the number of people who say they follow influencers on social media grew from 31% in 2022 to 35% this year. Among influencer-followers, 68% hold a positive perception of the credibility of influencer content. This shows that influencers can offer an opportunity to reach audiences outside residual channels with a voice that the audiences will trust.
Leger says advertisers are noticing a drop in performance on Facebook and looking to update their strategies for reaching Gen Z. This reinforces Leger’s suggestion that brands conduct a digital audit to help them identify the right strategy for each audience.
Of the trends discovered by Leger this year were two concerning phenomena: digital fatigue and anxiety. Participants cited information overload, constant notifications, pressure to stay connected, negative content, multiplicity of platforms and data protection issues as contributors to their fatigue and stress.
Canadians’ distrust of content and platforms is trending upwards compared to last year, reducing their enjoyment of the web. Digital technology is a source of stress. About a quarter of the population (23%) reports feeling stressed by digital media, but only 15% have implemented mechanisms to limit their time on social networks.
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