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The latest survey of American teens is here, and their favorite creator may surprise you

Twice per year, investment bank Piper Sandler conducts a survey it describes as a “semi-annual proprietary Gen Z research project.” That inquiry, which goes by the name Taking Stock With Teens, just returned for its 44th installment.

For the most part, American teens expressed the same opinions in the fall as they did in the spring. 38% of the 14,5000 respondents surveyed by Piper Sandler say that TikTok is their favorite social media platform. TikTok can tout that leading figure — so long as it admits that it is in fact a social media platform.

There was at least one surprise in Piper Sandler’s latest report. In the spring, the surveyed teens chose coffee-loving vlogger Emma Chamberlain as their favorite social media personality. In the fall, a previously-unranked creator supplanted Chamberlain at the top of the list. Andrew Tate, whose controversial rhetoric made him into an internet lightning rod, still has plenty of supporters among Gen Z. Perhaps those teens are down with viewpoints that many find to be misogynistic, but their support of Tate isn’t likely to get him unbanned from major platforms

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Other creators who made Piper Sandler’s latest list include MrBeastJiDion, and CoryxKenshin. “Danny Duncan, LeBron James, and Markiplier fell from the ranking,” the report reads. “Notably, KSI took the #11 spot and Kim Kardashian took the #12 spot.”

Meanwhile, as seen in the chart above, Netflix continues to command more teenage attention than any other video platform. About one-third of the respondents’ watch time is devoted to programming on the streaming giant. For many of those young consumers, Netflix’s new ad-supported tier will look like an appealing way to save money.

The rest of the report includes a number of intriguing data points. Few teens have purchased cryptocurrencies or NFTs, the ones who have are predominantly male, Apple remains a beloved brand, and while the survey respondents love Chick-fil-a, they’re willing to try plant-based substitutes from time to time. To check out all those numbers, access the full report.

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Published by
Sam Gutelle

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