If you have a phone and social media accounts, there is a solid chance that you are watching Short Form Videos (SFV). Whether it’s an Instagram Reel, a YouTube Short, or a TikTok, nearly 9 in 10 American consumers (88%) report that they watch SFV. If you are looking at a Gen Z or Millennial consumer, there is almost a 100% chance they are watching (96% and 98%, respectively). Even three-quarters of Boomers are scrolling and watching. 

YouTube is the clear leader when it comes to overall viewership, but also has the most consistent levels of viewership by generation. Instagram and TikTok are heavily age-dependent, while Facebook is more popular with the sandwich generations (Millennials and Gen X).

If you are a creator or an advertiser, the platform you use absolutely matters if you are looking to reach consumers in different generations. 

Here are the key takeaways from this week’s charts:

• 👑YouTube is King: Nearly two-thirds of Americans (65%) report that they watch Shorts on YouTube. This is in comparison to 47% who watch Facebook Reels, and 36% who watch Reels on Instagram. TikTok is in the news a lot, but has a much smaller percentage of reported viewers (37%). 
• 😕College Dudes Are Distracted: To be fair, there isn’t a huge difference in the rates of watching SFVs when it comes to gender and education; however, men with a college degree are the most likely to watch SFVs, and the most likely to be watching on YouTube (71%), Facebook (56%), Instagram (50%), and TikTok (45%). 
• 💎Hug Your Digital Ad Creator: Long gone are the days of three cable channels and predictable viewership. Today, the ability to view content on numerous platforms is providing more choices for consumers, but more headaches for those trying to reach these consumers. The differences in viewership by race, gender, education, and age are fascinating from a data perspective, but clearly create challenges for others.