Pinterest is not just for the Millennials, Gen Z is moving in

You may have thought that Pinterest was for Millennials, TikTok was for Gen Z, but the times they are a-changin’. Gen Z’s interest in Pinterest significantly grew throughout 2023, and they are currently Pinterest’s fastest growing user demographic. This youngest group of adults now accounts for more than 40% of Pinterest’s monthly active users worldwide.

Gen Z has embraced many aspects of Pinterest – especially the platform’s more recent foray into interactive Collages. Collages allow Gen Z freedom to creatively express their interests and style. Some make it a social experience, with several friends contributing to the same collage. But Pinterest is more than a platform for constructing vision-boards – it also provides an enjoyable way for Gen Z to learn about and shop brands with Pinterest’s in-app shopping experience. 

“On other traditional social [platforms], you’re in more of a leanback mode, consuming entertainment, news and politics. On Pinterest, you’re there with the intention to be inspired and to shop, and that’s definitely how Gen Z is telling us they’re using the platform.” – Bill Watkins, Pinterest’s Chief Revenue Officer

Beyond the features, Pinterest provides a positive outlet for this social media-conscious cohort. While Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok have often been dragged for being psychologically damaging to young users, Pinterest is thought to provide a more positive social media experience built on self-expression and creativity rather than comparison.

Pinterest’s “Absolutely Consider” Using Score – Young Adults VS US Adults

QuestBrand. 1/1/22- 3/13/24. Base: General population of US adults (n=12,961). Base: “Young adults” ages 18-30, n=2,911.

Using data from QuestBrand by The Harris Poll, we see young adults’ interest in Pinterest grow over the past two years. The graph above tracks the percentage of young adults (ages 18-30) who say that they would “absolutely consider” using the Pinterest app from January 2022 through the beginning of March 2024.

Note that the oldest Gen Zers are 27, so this graph also includes the youngest Millennials (which have the greatest overlap in cultural tendencies with Gen Zers).

Pinterest’s Emotional Attributes Among Gen Z Adults – Late 2022/Early 2023 VS Late 2023/Early 2024

QuestBrand. Base: Gen Z Adults. Pre: 9/1/22-3/1/23, n=377. Post: 9/1/23-3/1/24, n=183.

In addition to changing usage habits, Gen Z has shifted the way they think about Pinterest. Late 2023/early 2024, Gen Zers more often described Pinterest as “bold” (+16.9), “visionary” (+8.2), “classy” (+8.9), and “hip” (+8.6) than they did in late 2022/early 2023.

Over the last year, Pinterest has significantly strengthened its relationship with young adults. By offering Gen Zers a positive platform for self-expression, Pinterest has grown its user base and shifted the way young adults think about the platform. We will have to see if this trend continues as today’s younger Gen Zers enter adulthood – the youngest of this cohort have still not even reached their teen years.