For Gen Z, a mobile phone is a window to the world, a means to stay in touch, and the center of daily life. According to Yettel’s end-of-year survey[1], 86% of 16-24-year-olds use social media, spending an average of nearly three and a half hours per day on various platforms. TikTok remains as popular as ever, with users averaging 210 minutes a day on the platform, yet Facebook and Instagram continue to hold a strong position among the most popular social networks.
Although social media dominates, traditional communication channels haven’t disappeared from Gen Z’s life. Over a quarter (27%) of 16-26-year-olds[2] make at least 1-2 calls a day, while nearly one fifth pick up their phone 3-5 times a day to make a call. SMS also plays an important role in how young people stay in touch, with nearly as many (52%) using it as those who use online messaging platforms (56%).
Hungarian students spend their money wisely
Diverzum, a Gen Z loyalty platform with more than 200,000 active student users, estimates that 14-26-year-old Hungarian students will spend almost HUF 9 billion this year through discount coupons. The platform is used most widely (42%) and most actively by 18-21-year-olds.
Diverzum’s data from the past year show that daily shopping is by far the top category, with the average student spending almost HUF 350,000. For active Gen Z students, health matters: after shopping, they spend most on dietary supplements (HUF 217,000), followed by travel and transport, averaging HUF 197,000 over the past year. With about HUF 170,000 spent per student on electronics and nearly HUF 84,000 on services, subscriptions and digital solutions are also a key part of Gen Z’s lifestyle.
Not surprisingly, September brings the biggest boost on the Diverzum platform. Young people not only return to their usual routines but also eagerly look for discounts that are useful to them. In the books category, coupon activations jump by 73% compared to the summer months. Interest in technology also spikes at the start of the school year, when demand for discounts on electronic products can double compared to the summer.
Breaking down purchases by time of day also reflects Gen Z’s lifestyle: most coupon activations happen in the evening, around 8 p.m., while the travel and transportation category peaks on Fridays and Saturdays, when leisure activities and parties dominate.
A complex experience for the start of the school year
Timed for the back-to-school season, Yettel and Diverzum are launching their first joint campaign this year. The collaboration aims to offer young people more than single discounts, providing a complete experience: mobile and home internet services via a platform they actually use, with a community made for them. As part of the promotion, students can enjoy a monthly discount of up to HUF 2,000[3], and Yettel is now offering unlimited domestic and EU calls for six months on all new Yettel Start, Yettel Prime, Yettel Prime Simple Net, and Yettel Prime Plus subscriptions at no extra cost. The two offers can be combined for students between September 1 and October 7.
More details on the offers:
https://www.yettel.hu/prime-tarifa#6-honap-korlatlan-beszed and
https://diverzum.hu/marka/yettel
[1] Yettel’s online survey was conducted on a representative sample of 1,500 people aged 16 and over; data collection: November 2024
[2] Source: Target Group Index - © KANTAR Hoffmann