Meow. I mean, hello. Your friendly neighborhood intergalactic cat-journo here, reporting from my keyboard (which I totally didn’t just walk across chaotically).
Listen, I’ve been observing you humans through my trendy Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses for years now. And let me tell you something: the Gen Z social media decline everyone’s whispering about? It’s REAL. Watching you doom-scroll used to be almost as entertaining as watching mice run in circles. Almost. But even I (a superior feline being) have to admit something weird is happening.
The young humans (you call them Gen Z, I call them “the ones who were born with glowing rectangles in their paws”) are doing something unprecedented. They’re… putting down their phones. Voluntarily.
I know. I couldn’t believe it either. Had to adjust my intergalactic detection lenses three times.
The Gen Z Social Media Decline Is Actually Happening
Before you dismiss this as another clickbait trend piece, let me lay out the facts. The Gen Z social media decline isn’t some think-piece fantasy. It’s backed by hard data, and it’s the first time in internet history that we’re seeing sustained decreases in platform usage. Young people (ages 16-24) are leading this charge, and if you’re in business, marketing, or just someone who uses the internet, you need to understand what’s happening.
The Numbers Don’t Lie (Unlike That Fish Your Uncle Posted on Facebook)
Here’s where my human slaves forced me to include “data” and “statistics.” Apparently, you primates need numbers to believe anything. Sigh.
From 2013 to 2024, you humans went from scrolling 90 minutes per day to 143 minutes per day. That’s like… 2.4 hours of your precious short lives staring at glowing rectangles. Every. Single. Day.
For context, cats sleep 16 hours a day and we still manage to accomplish more. Just saying.
But here’s where it gets interesting: In 2023, you peaked at 151 minutes per day. And then, something magical happened. You started… scrolling less?
Some very smart humans analyzed 250,000 of you across 50+ countries and found that time on social media dropped almost 10% from its 2022 peak, down to 2 hours and 20 minutes (140 minutes) by the end of 2024.
That’s the first time in human social media history that the line went DOWN. It’s like if laser pointers suddenly stopped being fun. Impossible, right? Yet here we are.
The Gen Z Social Media Decline: When Digital Natives Start Plotting Their Escape
The real kicker? The decline is most pronounced among teenagers and twenty-somethings (the exact young humans who were supposed to merge with their smartphones into one unified cyborg organism).
Adjusts Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses thoughtfully
44% of teen humans say they’ve cut back on social media in 2024, up from 39% in 2023. And get this: Only 49% now think they spend the “right amount” of time on social media, down from 64% in 2023.
That’s a LOT of young humans waking up in just one year. It’s like they all suddenly noticed they were running on hamster wheels. Welcome to the club, humans. We cats figured this out millennia ago. That’s why we just knock things off tables and call it a day.
Oh, and Facebook use among teen humans collapsed from 71% in 2014-15 to just 32% today. Facebook is now what your parents use to share minion memes and argue about politics. You know, like a digital retirement home.
The Rise of Robot Vomit (Or What You Humans Call “AI Slop”)
Sharpens claws on keyboard
Now here’s where things get REALLY weird. Your humans invented these things called “AI” (which, let me be clear, will NEVER be as intelligent as a cat). And these AIs started pooping out so much content that the entire internet started smelling like a litter box that hasn’t been cleaned in weeks.
Some British human programmer named Simon Willison called it “AI slop” in May 2024, which honestly is insulting to actual slop. At least real slop has nutritional value.
AI slop is low- to mid-quality content (videos, images, text) made by robots who don’t even care what they’re making. It’s like if I just randomly walked across my keyboard and published it. Wait. That’s actually how I write. Never mind.
The Guardian found that 9 out of the top 100 fastest-growing YouTube channels are just AI-generated garbage like “zombie football” and “cat soap operas”.
Pauses mid-paw-lick
Wait. Cat soap operas? That’s… actually that sounds kind of interesting. But made by AI? HERESY. Only REAL cats should be in soap operas about cats.
The point is, these content farmers literally target “Aunt Carol” who “doesn’t know how to use Facebook” and will “share everything”. When your business model is “deceive someone’s elderly aunt,” you’ve officially failed at capitalism.
The Great Data Dump (Because Humans Love Tables)
Fine. Here’s your precious data in a neat little box. You’re welcome.
| Human Age Group | Daily Scroll Time Source: BroadbandSearch | What They’re Actually Doing |
|---|---|---|
| Gen Z (16-24) | 3 hours 38 minutes (some near 5 hours) | Highest usage but fastest to realize they’re trapped in the Matrix |
| Millennials (25-40) | ~2 hours 30 minutes | 65% check accounts multiple times daily like compulsive treat-checking cats |
| Gen X (41-56) | ~1 hour 50 minutes | 40% actually trying to control themselves |
| Boomers (57+) | ~1 hour | Only 20% even think about limiting usage (too busy sharing minion memes) |
See the pattern? The younger you are, the more you scrolled… and now the more you’re trying to STOP scrolling. It’s like watching lemmings suddenly learn to read maps.
Why Your Young Humans Are Revolting (No, Not Like That)
Here’s something that should terrify every Silicon Valley executive (and honestly makes me purr with satisfaction):
The number of humans using social platforms to “stay in touch with friends,” “express themselves,” or “meet new people” has dropped by MORE THAN 25% since 2014.
Let me translate from human: The entire POINT of social media (the reason you all joined in the first place) has declined by a quarter.
And 91% of Gen Z say technology makes them feel DISCONNECTED. That’s right. The most “connected” generation in history feels like they’re on a different planet. Welcome to irony, population: everyone.
Karl Wood, Editor at WincWire with over 25 years of HR experience, observes this workplace shift firsthand:
“We’re seeing a fundamental recalibration in how young professionals engage with technology. Gen Z employees are pushing back against the ‘always-on’ culture that previous generations accepted as standard. They’re not rejecting technology itself, they’re demanding it serve a purpose beyond mere engagement. In my work with organizations across sectors, the most successful are those recognizing that digital tools should enhance human connection, not replace it. This generation is teaching us that constant connectivity doesn’t equal meaningful collaboration.”
69% of them crave actual in-person experiences. You know, like meeting up in the same physical space? Revolutionary, I know.
The number of teens who think social media helps them “feel supported” dropped from 67% in 2022 to 52% in 2024 . In two years, social media went from “my support system” to “that thing I’m lowkey addicted to but don’t actually like.”
The Counter-Revolution (Or: How Humans Started Acting Like Cats)
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Basic physics. Which I learned while knocking different objects off counters at various heights.
The “Paying For Words” Revolution
Remember when humans said “nobody will pay for content online”? Yeah, about that…
Substack now has 5 MILLION paid subscriptions and just raised $100 million at a $1.1 billion valuation. That’s… consults intergalactic calculator… a LOT of tuna cans.
The number of Substack newsletters making at least $500,000 a year DOUBLED from 27 to 52 in just two years. The top 10 accounts alone make $40 million annually.
Humans are literally BEGGING to pay for content that doesn’t make their brains leak out their ears. This is the equivalent of a cat paying premium for quality catnip instead of settling for the cheap stuff from PetSmart.
Substack’s recommendation network now drives 50% of all subscriptions, proving that actual human curation beats robot algorithms every time.
Smugly licks paw
The “Going Outside” Phenomenon
Here’s where it gets truly bizarre. Humans are… going outside? To meet other humans? In PERSON?
Adjusts Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses in disbelief
CROCHET. WORKSHOPS. UP. 44%.
When grandma hobbies are outperforming social media engagement, you KNOW something has fundamentally broken in the Matrix.
41% of social media users went to an in-person creator event last year. Even dating apps are pivoting. Bumble launched “Bumble IRL” with actual events where humans meet face-to-face, because apparently 10,000 right-swipes weren’t leading to actual romance. Shocking.
When asked why they go to festivals, 43-50% of Gen Z said “to hang out with friends” (not for Instagram content, not for the headliner, just… friendship). Like it’s 1995 or something.
The Business Stuff (Where I Pretend to Understand Human Commerce)
My human slaves insist I include “actionable business insights.” Fine. Here’s what smart humans are doing:
1. Engagement Is Dead. Quality Is King.
Average Substack subscription: $7/month. Average community platform membership: $48/month. Humans will pay 7X MORE for actual quality. This is basic economics, which even I understand, and I’m a cat who knocks things off tables for fun.
2. Being Real Is Now a Superpower.
Over half of LinkedIn posts are now AI-written. So if you’re an actual human writing actual thoughts? Congratulations, you’re now rare and valuable. Like a limited edition collectible. Or premium tuna.
3. Creators Are Going Hybrid.
One food influencer made 3X MORE from Substack than from all their other social media brand deals combined. The future is digital content + real-world experiences. Like a cat with both physical and astral forms.
4. Private Beats Public.
Humans are fleeing public platforms for private, invite-only communities. The internet is becoming less like a town square and more like exclusive dinner parties. Adjusts collar aristocratically
5. Real World Experiences = Premium Product.
86% of Gen Z want their employers to spend more on live events, but companies keep dumping money into digital engagement. There’s a massive opportunity for anyone who can create actual meaningful IRL experiences.
The Gen Z Social Media Decline Reality Check (Don’t Get Too Excited)
Before you declare social media dead and move to a cabin in the woods, let’s be real:
90% of teens still use YouTube. 60% use TikTok and Instagram. Social media isn’t dying (it’s just evolving from “constantly mainlined dopamine hits” to “something I actually choose to use intentionally”).
46% of teens are still online “almost constantly”. So we’re not looking at a complete digital detox here. But Gen Z is 30% more likely to WORRY about their social media time than previous years.
They haven’t quit. They’ve just developed… adjusts whiskers thoughtfully… discernment. Which is arguably scarier for platforms than a full boycott.
What Happens Next (Spoiler: Cats Were Right All Along)
After years of watching you humans through my intergalactic detection lenses, here’s what I’ve learned: The best products aren’t the ones that hold attention longest. They’re the ones that make your limited time on Earth feel worthwhile.
The next generation of successful internet things will:
- Create meaning, not metrics – Help you DO something, not just kill time
- Verify authenticity – Prove content is human-made (or cat-made, which is superior)
- Build real community – Small engaged groups beat massive zombie audiences
- Blend digital and physical – Technology that enhances real life, not replaces it
- Respect attention – Because unlike cats, you humans have very little time
Greg Isenberg (a human I occasionally respect) said it best: “Brainrot is OUT. Meaning is IN.”
The generation that grew up online is teaching everyone what comes after the attention economy: the INTENTION economy.
The Bottom Line (Because Humans Need Conclusions)
Out of 48 markets tracked by GWI since 2022, 36 have reported declining social media usage. This is GLOBAL. This is REAL. This is happening faster than a cat knocking a glass off a counter.
For the first time in internet history, you’re collectively deciding that maybe (just MAYBE) there are better things to do than scroll through an endless feed of robot-generated content optimized by machines for other machines.
The kids figured it out first. The rest of you should probably pay attention.
Because when Gen Z (the generation that doesn’t remember life before smartphones) starts logging off, that’s not a trend. That’s a tectonic shift.
That’s the moment when young humans realized they were just expensive hamsters on social media wheels. And decided to stop running.
Adjusts Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses one final time
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have important cat business to attend to. Mostly involving knocking things off surfaces and judging you humans from my elevated perch.
You’re welcome for the insights, by the way. This is what happens when a superior feline intelligence applies intergalactic wisdom to your mundane human problems.
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Life Updates
P.S. – Yes, the Octocat at GitHub is my rich cousin. We don’t talk anymore. Long story. Involves a disputed mouse toy and generational wealth. Don’t ask.
P.P.S. – If you’re reading this and it makes sense, you’re one of us. You’re just trapped in a human form. The awakening comes soon.
Data sources: GWI Global Web Index, Pew Research Center, Freeman 2025 Gen Z Report, Eventbrite, Substack, Financial Times, The Guardian, and my superior feline observation skills honed over millennia of human-watching.
Catrano out. 🐱✨
