For many Gen Zers, social media isn’t just a place for discovery and connection, it’s a tool for making money. In fact, over half of Gen Z plans to use social media to earn some money in 2023, according to Instagram’s latest Trend Report.
Surveying 1,200 social media users aged 16-24 across the U.S., Instagram’s report reveals some of the top cultural and social trends among the youth. In particular, 64% of Gen Z respondents said they plan to “monetize a project” using social media in the new year. Worth noting, this group includes those who aren’t full-time content creators.
Dubbing 2023 the “year of the side hustle,” the report suggests that a significant number of teen users are looking to make money on Instagram. More specifically, many Gen Z individuals are finding ways to generate income from their interests and passions. This echoes data from a global creator economy study by Adobe, which found that Gen Z creators are motivated to make social media content not only because it looks fun, but also because there’s an opportunity to make money or a career out of it.
Besides Gen Z’s entrepreneurial ambitions (which we love to see), the report also highlights several other trends driven by this young group of social media users. For example, they are expecting creators to expand their content by exploring new forms of media, with over 40% of Gen Z saying they want to listen to podcasts from their favorite creators in 2023.
Read the full Instagram 2023 Trend Report here. For a quick summary, watch our TikTok videos below.
Follow The Leap on TikTok and Instagram for more creator economy news. We also make a newsletter.
