359. YPulse. Social Behaviors & 20s trends.
April 17, 2025
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In this episode, MaryLeigh Bliss, Chief Content Officer at YPulse, explores the latest trends shaping Gen Z and millennial behavior—especially when it comes to social media and 20-somethings.
Items discussed include:
Top Social Platforms: YouTube continues to dominate overall. TikTok ranks second among Gen Z and younger millennials, while Facebook remains the go-to for older millennials.
Video Reigns Supreme: Young consumers overwhelmingly prefer video content—particularly unscripted clips from real people—over static posts.
The Power of Authenticity: Brands see the most success when they collaborate with nano-creators and give them the creative freedom to produce genuine, relatable content.
Pinterest's Growth: Pinterest is the only platform seeing growth, driven by teens and young women who view it as a more inspirational and less comparison-heavy space.
Trendspotting on TikTok: TikTok has become the top destination for discovering new trends.
Social Shopping 2.0: Scrolling social feeds is the new window shopping. Like Gen X once wandered malls, today’s youth browse with the intent to buy - especially on TikTok, where impulse purchases thrive through features like TikTok Shop and livestream shopping.
The 20-Something Mindset: Many in their twenties are delaying traditional milestones, instead prioritizing self-improvement, experiences, and hobbies. For them, social media serves as a digital compass—guiding everything from life choices to trend adoption and content discovery.
YPulse is the leading authority on Millennials and Gen Z: tweens, teens, college students and young adults. They provide strategic insight to companies and organizations via their subscription-based syndicated research content as well as their custom research and consulting services. Staffed with a cross-functional team of researchers, marketers, writers, and technologists, they give their clients a 360-degree view of what it’s like to be a Millennial or Gen Z today.
As Chief Content Officer, MaryLeigh Bliss oversees YPulse’s syndicated products. Her role also involves acting as a culture and youth insights expert, consulting with brands to identify actionable insights, align young consumer strategy, and layer generational and youth knowledge over data findings.
MaryLeigh has worked with a range of brands, including Facebook, Hampton, Bravo, HBO, Target, Best Buy, and Gap, and has been quoted as a youth insights authority by publications including The New York Times, Digiday, Business Insider, and Adweek. She has appeared as a Gen Z and Millennial expert on Bloomberg News, Fortune, and NPR Marketplace, and been a speaker at many off-sites and conferences. MaryLeigh’s interest in youth culture originated from her love of YA literature and pop culture anthropology, and she is continuing her passion for decoding and demystifying the next generations of consumers at YPulse.
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MaryLeigh Bliss
YPulse