This article was published by Adweek.

Whether it’s to absorb the ever-changing news or simply find distraction from increasingly stressful days, more consumers—particularly Gen Z and millennials—are reaching for their phones to watch videos.

Recent data from Omnicom Media Group and Snap Inc. shows that Covid-19 caused video consumption to increase across apps, such as social media (61%) and streaming, both in the platforms themselves (56%) and streaming apps on phones (52%). Even when using apps like Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram that don’t specialize in videos, users are spending more than half their time watching videos of some kind.

In total—and unsurprisingly—both groups increased video consumption on their phones, with Gen Z at 67% more and millennials at 51%.

“Sixty years ago, marketers were told ‘the medium is the message.’ However, this study reveals that for millennials and Gen Z, it’s more accurate to say that ‘the medium is the moment,’” said Pamela Marsh, managing director of primary research for Omnicom Media Group North America.

According to those polled, their motivations for watching videos range from seeking platforms like TikTok that can lift their moods or seeking entertainment through venues like Facebook to discovering new hobbies or skills on YouTube and looking for inspiration on Instagram. Respondents said they were deeply immersed in the content they consumed, even with the ads on these platforms.

“By understanding the why, when and especially the how … brands can optimize value by better aligning content and cadence with user motivation, behaviors and engagement levels within an app,” Marsh said.

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