• by Sarah Mahoney , March 10, 2026

A new Harris Poll finds that, as far as young consumers are concerned, TikTok is in the early stages of a brand crisis. The research finds that 60% of Gen Z trust the platform less than they used to, 74% are more cautious about what they engage with, and 25% wish it had never existed. The most alarming signal may well be from creators: Nearly half of Gen Z creators — 49% — are posting less, have stopped altogether, or have shifted platforms.

There’s trouble ahead for other social media platforms, too.  While X/Twitter is the most loathed by Gen Z audiences, with 45% having negative perceptions, Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram are all unloved. The clear winner: YouTube, with a 78% favorability score and 66% of people using it daily. Substack, already used daily by 11% of Gen Z, is also gaining.

For brand marketers, many of whom don’t know how to engage Gen Z without social media, that creates major problems.

The research found that while TikTok is just six years old, younger users are experiencing a deep nostalgia. Eight out of 10 say they miss the platform’s good old days, and they wish there were fewer ads and no TikTok shop.  “The algorithm has changed, and they don’t like it,” says Harris Poll chief strategy officer Libby Rodney.

The irony, she tells Marketing Daily, is that the audience is still there, with 65% of Gen Z using TikTok daily. But 31% admit they scroll out of habit, not desire, and 72% say the content feels staged and performative. It’s exhausting, with 43% saying it is mentally draining, and 40% finding it overwhelming. About a third say they have to work to “train” their algorithm to find the content they want to see.

And while that means marketers still have a captive audience, that audience isn’t particularly engaged or receptive to sales pitches.

“Gen Z is pulling back, and we think this year, we’ll hit the peak of the more human, 'touch grass’ movement. Younger consumers are pulling back from how much screens are present in their lives and how much the algorithm is impacting their choices,” Rodney says.

The fact that Gen Z lurks more than they post and describes their time offline as self-care  “means that they are trying to get away from their screens in a way that most generations aren't,” says Rodney.

It represents a major generational change. “During the pandemic, we had Gen Z data that was saying, 'My online identity is more important than my offline identity,’” she says. “Now, they’re joining IRL running clubs and philosophy clubs. It’s a total reverse in  status and aspiration.”

Her message for brand marketers, as Gen Z comes to terms with its social media ambivalence?  “Look for ways to help people create those moments where they can re-engage with the world.”