Gen Z Has A 1-Second Attention Span

Gen Z loses active attention for ads after just 1.3 seconds—less time than any other age group, according to a global study by Yahoo and OMD Worldwide. But most marketers haven’t moved on from the mindset of 30-second appointment TV ads. There’s a creative advertising opportunity for meeting Gen Z where they are. Here’s how you can make the most of 1.3 seconds.

“Attention must be earned in an instant.” That’s according to our analyst Paul Verna, speaking on eMarketer's "Trends and Predictions for 2023" event last week. 

Skippable ads like those on YouTube and vertical scrolling like on TikTok have reinforced an expectation for young people that many ads are essentially optional.

Gen Z decides instantly where their interests lie, and then they skip or scroll past content that doesn’t intrigue. That contrasts with older generations who expect to sit through ads as they did (and still do) with TV commercials.

A snap judgment: Perhaps this is why Gen Z frequents platforms with shorter ad formats. Half of US Snapchat users are Gen Z.

Gen Z has a higher penetration of US TikTok use than any other age group.

Young users make up a significantly smaller portion of connected TV and linear TV viewers, where ads are frequently over 15 seconds.