YouTube has more challengers than ever, but it’s just getting bigger

Today’s social media landscape offers a lot of choices for consumers, but year after year, internet denizens continue to flock to a 20-year-old choice: YouTube. According to a survey of U.K. social media users conducted by YouGov, Google’s video hub is drawing more increased usage than any of its tech industry rivals.

28% of YouGov’s respondents said they use YouTube more than they did a year ago. That percentage compares favorably to the equivalent figures for Instagram (25%), TikTok (21%), X (15%), and Snapchat (8%).

As you might expect, Gen Z is responsible for much of YouTube’s gains. 38% of that cohort said they are now using YouTube more than they did a year ago. But recent research has shown that seniors are also embracing YouTube, especially on TVs, and that phenomenon is visible within the YouGov data. 53% of Baby Boomers said they have used YouTube in the past month.

When you add in a recent study from Ofcom — which found that one-fifth of Generation Alpha heads straight to YouTube after turning on the TV — the video platform’s cross-generation dominance becomes clear. YouTube is for everyone, from the five-year-old Alphans to the 85-year-old elders.

YouTube’s ubiquity is astounding, especially when the fractured state of modern media comes into consideration. “In 2025, the British media landscape is more dynamic and fragmented than ever before,” said YouGov

Head of Digital Media and Technology Justin Marshall. “With content flowing across countless platforms and formats, understanding which type of media and how much different groups engage with has become essential for anyone seeking to connect with audiences in meaningful ways.”

How does YouTube do it? The platform’s innovations, especially in areas like generative AI, creator monetization, rights management, and TV viewership, are notable. But no matter how hi-tech YouTube gets, it still offers a simple value proposition to consumers: It is a one-stop shop for on-demand video.

As overly simplistic as that explanation may seem, it is increasingly relevant in an era when many tech companies alienate their respective bases by attempting to reinvent the wheel. As TikTok goes all in on shopping and Instagram goes all in on being TikTok, YouTube is staying refreshingly close to its original vision. That’s a big bonus for U.K. consumers, and if the named tech companies are paying attention, the YouGov survey can teach them a lesson, too.