Refuel Study: Young Adults, Not Teens, Now Drive Social Brand Discovery
Image
Princeton, N.J. – September 24, 2026 -- Young adults aged 18-24 have overtaken teens as the primary drivers of brand discovery on TikTok and Instagram, according to Refuel Agency's newly redesigned 2026 Youth, College & Young Adult Explorer study of 1,545 respondents.
Social media engagement now peaks in young adulthood, not the teen years
Young adults lead brand discovery on TikTok at 30% versus 28% for teens, and on Instagram at 29% versus 23%. Adults log nearly double the weekly social media hours of teens -- 40 hours versus 24 -- with college students matching adults at 40 hours weekly. Liz Carmo, EVP Audience & Brand at Refuel Agency, said brand media plans still treating the teen years as the social-media high-water mark are reaching audiences at the wrong intensity.