🎮 Gaming vs. Social Media: Why Gen Z Prefer Immersive Play Over Endless Scrolling

The digital habits of Gen Z are reshaping the marketing landscape in 2025. Gaming has surpassed social media as the dominant digital pastime for younger audiences, and unlike Millennials, who balanced social platforms with gaming, today’s youth are drawn to the immersive, interactive nature of gaming over passive scrolling.

Why is Gaming Winning?

1️⃣ Interactive Engagement

Gen Z is redefining how they spend their time online, with gaming becoming a central hub for entertainment and connection. Gen Z consumers say they spend a quarter (25%) of their leisure time playing video games, making it the most popular activity. In comparison, 18% of their leisure time is spent using social media and 17% is spent streaming video content. Gen Z is drawn to the immersive and interactive experiences that mobile games and platforms like Among Us, Call of Duty Mobile, and Genshin Impact offer.

2️⃣ A Controlled Experience

Gaming environments are perceived as safer and more engaging compared to social media. Parents and even older Gen Z audiences favor gaming’s structured nature, with gamers increasingly see video games as a way to connect and reduce stress, with 71% of gamers feeling more relaxed after playing.

3️⃣ Influencer Culture

Gaming creators and influencers are outperforming traditional social media stars when it comes to audience engagement. Twitch streamers and YouTube Gaming personalities are more relatable, delivering content that resonates with younger audiences far more effectively than static posts or short-form videos. For example, over 21.4 billion hours of gaming content was consumed on Twitch in 2023.

The Data Tells the Story

Mobile gaming is more than just a pastime: it’s an essential part of the digital lives of Gen Z:

📊 Mobile gaming has reached over 3 billion players globally, with a significant portion under 18.
📊 Mobile gaming has seen an 8% year-over-year growth in player spending, reinforcing its position as the most profitable segment of the gaming industry.
📊  Mobile gaming generated 50% of global gaming revenue in 2023, cementing its role as the dominant force in the gaming ecosystem.

Opportunities for Brands

For advertisers, gaming offers unparalleled opportunities for seamless, meaningful engagement. Contextual in-game advertising ensures brand messaging feels natural and unobtrusive. Whether it’s a related product ad or an interactive 'gamified' ad experience within gaming apps, these placements drive authenticity and capture attention of highly engaged audiences.

At Prado, we help brands tap into these dynamic environments through cutting-edge interest-based and contextual advertising. With our technology, brands can meet audiences in the spaces they love: ensuring the message aligns with the moments that matter most.

For brands targeting youth and teen audiences, gaming is no longer just an entertainment channel: it’s the gateway to creating authentic, lasting connections. Let Prado help you make your next move.

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