The generational content report.

Which are the UK’s most popular content platforms?

Beginning with a general overview, we thought we’d start by highlighting which of the UK’s major content platforms sees the most use; and here, Facebook has a dominating lead. Regularly used by two-thirds of Brits (66%), it outpaces YouTube (62%), Instagram (55%), and TikTok (50%), though not necessarily by a huge margin.

Meanwhile, from a content consumption perspective, short-form videos and reels continue to dominate all spaces, being flagged as the preferred format for 40% of those we spoke with, followed by 22% putting long-form videos first.

In stark contrast, long-form, audio-only podcasts sat at the bottom, with fewer than one in ten (8%) picking this as their go-to content medium, while only 11% said they got theirs through educational or AI-assisted tools.

Indeed, the latter half of our survey only acts to back this up, with short-form viewing habits appearing to accelerate over time, as more than a third of those we got in touch with (35%) said they felt like they were definitely watching more short-form content than they were a year ago.

Needless to say, with such short-form content taking a front row seat, you likely won’t be shocked to hear that most of our survey respondents continue to turn to dedicated video platforms to discover new trends, with TikTok and YouTube both standing level here at 43%, as well as Facebook, with all three outclassing each of the other platforms from our survey by a wide margin.

Finally, we definitely think it’s worth highlighting how consumer trends have begun to shift in recent years, especially when it comes to brand expectations. Based on our findings, 37% of consumers now say that entertaining content is more engaging for them compared to only 17% saying they were still interested in influencer partnerships.

Basically, authenticity has become the all-important benchmark for quality, and almost half of Brits (49%) say they want more genuine and relatable content in their feeds going forward.

Where do different generations get their content?

Ok, now that you know the basic trends around UK content consumption, let’s get to the meat of our research – the clear and distinct generational split in content preference and platform choice. As you’ve probably no doubt guessed, every generation watches content differently. And the newer the platform, the more likely a younger generation is to adopt its use.

Nowhere is this more prominent than with TikTok, which remains the platform of choice for Gen Z. According to our survey, 80% of Gen Z regularly use TikTok, compared to just 20% of Boomers. Meanwhile, on the flip side, just under three-quarters of Millennials (69%) and Gen X frequently use Facebook, while only 33% of Gen Z appear to have adopted the platform.

Trends like these also prove to be similar from a content front as well, with younger audiences leaning more towards short-form videos. Here, at least 53% of Millennials placed short-form videos as their entertainment of choice, whereas only 24% Boomers said the same.

Interestingly, however, news content appears to be more important for older generations, with only 8% of Gen Z respondents seeking it out compared to more than a third of Boomers (34%) – this is in spite of Gen Z being very vocal about the causes they care about.

Lastly, influencer content still remains a firmly Gen Z and Millennial space, being a key attraction for 25% of Gen Z and Millennials but only 7% of Boomers. However, once more, authenticity in content is a must for all age groups, with 57% of Boomers specifically wanting brands to put more effort into this area.

Do content preferences change between regions?

Finally, to wrap up, we thought it’d be interesting to see if there were any standout differences between the various UK regions and how they like to consume their content. And, surprisingly, there is!

Right out of the gate, we see that Facebook is the dominant platform in Wales, where over three-quarters (78%) of local residents make use of it – making it the most popular region for Facebook in the UK.

In contrast, TikTok leads in London (66%), especially for finding new trends, with well over half (59%) of users going here first compared to only 38% in Wales and 28% in the South West regions.

Surprisingly, though, despite TikTok having a firm trend discovery lead in London, when it comes to short-video use, it’s actually the North West that’s out in front, followed closely by the West Midlands and Yorkshire, with just under half of those living in these areas (49%, 47%, and 46% respectively), picking short form videos over everything else.

However, despite not being near the top for TikTok use, it’s Scotland that’s seen the biggest growth in short-form video consumption in total, with 44% of survey respondents concluding that they definitely watch more short-form videos now than they did a year ago.

As for what attracts consumer attention the most, entertaining and humorous videos are still preferred by the majority of regions, though the South East lead here, with 42% of those we spoke to leaning towards this option.

And lastly, when it comes to what brands should be doing more of, authenticity once more caps out at the top of everyone’s agenda, being a must for 59% of viewers in Scotland and half of survey participants in Yorkshire (50%).