Signal 34% of Gen Z say social media is decisive at the purchase stage against 16% of boomers

Summary

McKinsey finds that social media matters even more to Gen Z when it comes to deciding what to buy than when discovering brands. At the purchase evaluation stage, 34 percent of Gen Z say social media plays a key role, compared with 16 percent of baby boomers. That share is far higher than for any other channel Gen Z cites, including stores, online search, and review sites. The report expects social media's role in the decision journey to keep growing, especially if platforms develop their own AI shopping agents. Consumer trust remains a limiting factor, however, since Gen Z is sceptical of social media even while using it heavily.