Gen Z can’t stop using TikTok despite mistrust, survey finds
March 11, 2026Updated March 12, 2026, 5:19 p.m. ET
Many Gen Zers, the cohort born in the years 1997 to 2012, are apparently limiting their internet, social media and technology use, except for one particular app, according to a recent survey.
Despite arguably being the most internet-centric generation, Gen Z is pulling back from social platforms, a new Harris Poll survey shows, and choosing to be more selective with how they engage online, and missing the early days of one app in particular: TikTok.
More than a third of Gen Z respondents in the March 2026 survey “TikTok Troubles: The Platform Gen Z Can’t Quit (But Doesn’t Trust)” said they rarely post or engage on social media, opting instead to “lurk,” meaning they just look at other posts without liking or responding to them. That 34% of respondents is the highest of any generation, the survey states.
Here’s a look at what else the survey found about Gen Z’s shifting internet habits.
Gen Z social media users are engaging, posting less
Along with a rise in lurking, some Gen Z social media users say they’re accustomed to staying on apps, even if they are fatigued by it. According to the survey, 31% percent of respondents said they scroll on social media out of habit, not desire.
Beyond that, Gen Z respondents reported feeling negative about their daily social media use: 29% felt better about themselves when they were removed from social media, and 24% felt guilty about the time they spent scrolling.
The quality of social media content is diminishing, too, respondents said. The survey found that 39% of Gen Z reported seeing more “low-quality, AI-generated content flooding their feeds,” which made the social media experience feel “less human.”
These factors are leading some Gen Zers to cut back on social media. More than half (52%) of those who planned to step away said they wanted to spend more time exercising, and 42% wanted to spend more time with family and friends in person.
Others want to branch out into new things:
- 42% reported wanting to pursue hobbies and creative activities.
- 39% reported wanting to cook or bake.
- 36% reported wanting to spend time outdoors.
- 34% reported wanting to spend more time on side hustles.
- 19% reported wanting to spend more time dating.
Still, some people reported enjoying their time on social media: 26% of respondents described time online as “self-care.”
TikTok tops Gen Z’s list as preferred source of culture
Gen Z has a clear favorite when it comes to social media apps. TikTok is the platform the generation turns to when looking for culturally relevant content, such as entertainment, pop culture and local experiences, the report found. According to the survey, 37% of respondents said they go to TikTok first, a rate nearly double that of any other platform. Still, respondents had qualms with the app. Seventy-nine percent of Gen Z TikTok users said they “miss the early days of TikTok.” TikTok has rapidly expanded from the dancing app it was known as in 2019 to a platform where influencers can grow, viewers can shop and buy the items they see in videos, and trends can dominate feeds for weeks.
Some users long for the app before those changes:
- 41% said they miss fewer brands and ads on the app.
- 34% said they miss unfiltered content and opinions.
- 34% said they miss relatable content.
- 33% said they miss when TikTok Shop did not exist.
- 27% said they miss the time before influencer culture.
“Gen Z still shows up to TikTok every day, but they’re showing up skeptical, exhausted, and nostalgic for a version of the platform that’s already gone. That’s not loyalty − that’s habit. And habits break,” Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer at The Harris Poll, said in the report.
TikTok trust is dwindling, survey finds
Beyond that, Gen Z TikTok users reported feeling wary about the app: 60% said they trusted TikTok less than they used to.
Part of that wariness stems from the app’s future, which looked shaky amid the idea of banning TikTok in the United States, something President Donald Trump reignited in early 2025 after attempting to ban the app in August 2020 over national security concerns. In the year since, TikTok has reached a deal to avoid a ban after the app’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, agreed in January to set up a majority American-owned joint venture company to circumvent a U.S. ban.
With or without knowledge of the ownership concerns, TikTok users are still being careful when it comes to the app, according to the report:
- 74% of respondents said they’re more cautious about what they engage with.
- 51% said they feel the platform is more censored than it was a year ago.
- 64% said ownership changes have made them more aware of their data.
- 28% of Gen Z respondents aware of the sale said they are more worried about free speech on American-owned TikTok, not less.
Respondents also reported more negative feelings about the app, including 43% who said TikTok is more mentally draining and 40% who said it’s more overwhelming. The TikTok algorithm, which is designed to put videos on a user’s “for you page” that fit their content preferences and likes, is also slipping. According to the survey of Gen Z respondents:
- 72% said the content feels staged and performative now.
- 53% said content is more commercial.
- 33% said they have to actively “train” their algorithm to see desired content.
- Among those aware of the ownership change, 33% said the algorithm or feed isn’t as personalized or relevant.
Still, it looks as if TikTok will remain relevant to Gen Z. Sixty-five percent report they use the app every day, and 32% reported they planned to use it more, despite the rates of distrust.
