Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Homepage

Gen Z men and women spend their money and free time very differently

young woman making money
A new Morning Consult report breaks down differences between Gen Z men and women in spending habits, hobbies, and more. Massonstock/Getty Images
  • Gen Z has different leisure and spending habits from the rest of the population.
  • A report from Morning Consult also breaks down differences in Gen Z men's and women's preferences.
  • Here are some of the biggest takeaways.
Advertisement

The growing political divide between Gen Z men and women is no secret, but it turns out they also have big differences as consumers.

A Morning Consult report released Wednesday highlighted the gender divergence among young people when it comes to leisure activities and spending habits.

In social media, for example, Gen Z women lean towards photo- and video-based platforms like Pinterest and TikTok, while Gen Z men prefer text-based sites like Reddit and X, formerly known as Twitter.

Morning Consult graph of Gen Z men and women social media and streaming platform preferences
Gen Z women favor TikTok and Pinterest, while Gen Z men lean towards X and Reddit. Morning Consult

While Reddit "has always been a very male space," X has "taken on a very masculine brand, look, and feel" since Musk bought the platform in October 2022, Ellyn Briggs, a brand analyst at Morning Consult, said.

Advertisement

TikTok, meanwhile, has "so many formats that perform extremely well for women audiences," such as get-ready-with-me or day-in-the-life videos, she added.

The report also highlighted differences in motivations and attitudes that affect consumer spending.

Morning Consult graph of Gen Z men and women shopping habits and motivations
Gen Z men and women have differing motivations as consumers as well. Morning Consult

"It's not super surprising that the things like being among the first to try technology or feeling competitive are more masculine-identifying traits," said Briggs.

However, Gen Z women's answers showed they were "more likely to identify with communal ideals like close friendship, gift-giving and putting others' needs before their own" and were "compelled by community," the report said.

Advertisement

That seems to fit with recent trends like dressing up to attend "Barbie" movie showings or Taylor Swift concerts, or the resurgence of book clubs, for example.

"Women are looking for community as an option for how to spend their time and set up their lives," Briggs said. "So I think that any company, organization, brand that can deliver a communal experience feeling to women audiences is certainly something they'd want to engage in."

Read next

gen z Employment
Advertisement
Close icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.

Jump to

  1. Main content
  2. Search
  3. Account