The Connected Consumer Q3 2025 Report

The Connected Consumer is a quarterly report by Decision Lab, running since 2019 and established as the benchmark publication on media consumption in Vietnam. In Q3 2025, TikTok overtook YouTube as Gen Z's top entertainment platform(50% vs 35%) - a sign that generational preferences are re-segmenting even as overall usage converges. It gives brands an evidence-based view of where consumer attention is moving. The report is written for brand and marketing leadersresponsible for connecting with Vietnamese consumers effectively.

Key highlight points:

• Platform hierarchy holds, but loyalty softens. Facebook (94%), Zalo and YouTube (91%) still lead, while TikTok (74%) and Instagram (44%) slip. Every generation now leans on just 2–3 must-have apps, signalling weaker attachment to anysingle platform.

• Digital habits turn intentional, led by AI. Around 87% of online consumers now use AI tools, with ChatGPT (67%) and Gemini (47%) both up significantly. Gen Z drives experimentation - averaging three AI tools versus two for older cohorts -while Gen X and Y consolidate around trusted utilities like Shopee (85%) and MoMo (61%).

• Engagement cools as attention fragments. YouTube still dominates entertainment (82%) and music (78%), and Facebook leads casual browsing (70%) and news (61%), but most categories softened this quarter. Gen Z pulls toward fast, visual formats - TikTok tops its short-video use (67%) - while older users hold to familiar, information-led feeds.