My Teens Talk About Their Internet Marketing Views [LNIMV021]

What do actual teenagers think about online shopping, social media, and how they interact with brands? In this video, Mark Mason rides in the car with two of his daughters and asks them about their habits on Snapchat, Amazon, Twitter, and more. The conversation reveals insights that every internet marketer should hear straight from the generation that grew up online.

Video: My Teens Talk Internet Marketing

You can also watch this video directly on YouTube.

Snapchat Is the Dominant Platform for Teens

In early 2016, Snapchat was the platform of choice for Mark's daughters and their peer group. Alley, a college student, described Snapchat Stories as a way to share short video clips or photos on a 24-hour window visible to friends and followers. Ten-second clips from concerts, parties, and everyday moments. Pam, in high school, was actively Snapchatting during the recording.

One key distinction: Snapchat allows asymmetric following. You can follow a celebrity like Jared Leto and see their Stories without them following you back. This made it function more like a follow model than a strict two-way friendship, similar to what Twitter and Instagram had already established.

Amazon Beats Google for Product Searches

When asked about online shopping, both daughters went straight to Amazon rather than starting with Google. Alley explained the exception clearly: she uses Google only when she needs to find the best of a product category. “Amazon will show you all the headphones, but I want to know what are the best headphones. I'll go to Google to figure that out.” Once she knows what she wants, it is straight to Amazon.

This is critical for affiliate marketers. Review and comparison content (“best headphones for running,” “top wireless earbuds”) captures the moment when shoppers leave Amazon for Google. That is the window where your content can influence purchasing decisions.

Pam added that she goes directly to brand websites for specific brands like J.Crew, bypassing Google entirely. Both daughters preferred shopping on their laptops over mobile, noting that many retailer websites at the time had poor mobile experiences. Amazon's app was the notable exception.

Twitter for News, Not Just Social

Both daughters used Twitter, but differently. Alley used it primarily as a news source: “It's less of a social outlet and more of news and staying connected with what's going on globally.” She clicked links on Twitter when they sounded interesting. Pam used Twitter to keep up with friends rather than celebrities, noting that celebrities used Twitter for publicity while using Instagram for more personal content.

Alley also mentioned Google's Who's Down app, which her sorority helped launch. The app let you signal availability to friends for spontaneous meetups. It was an early attempt at social coordination that never gained mainstream traction.

Anonymous Compliment Apps and Emerging Platforms

Pam mentioned Brighten, an app for sending anonymous compliments to friends. It was gaining traction in her high school circle. This represented the counter-trend to anonymous bullying apps: positivity-focused social platforms. While Brighten itself did not survive long-term, the concept of positivity-focused social features has been adopted by major platforms.

What Has Changed Since This Episode

Mark recorded this in January 2016 during a road trip from Houston to Dallas. The social media landscape has shifted enormously since then.

Snapchat lost its dominance to Instagram and TikTok. Instagram launched Stories in August 2016, directly copying Snapchat's core feature. TikTok later redefined short-form video entirely. By 2026, TikTok and YouTube Shorts are where teens spend the most time creating and consuming short content.

Amazon's dominance in product search has only grown. The trend the girls described, going straight to Amazon instead of Google, has accelerated. Over half of all product searches now start on Amazon rather than a search engine. However, TikTok and Instagram have emerged as product discovery platforms, especially for younger shoppers who find products through creator recommendations.

Google's Who's Down was discontinued. The app never gained adoption outside its initial launch communities. Apple's Find My and various group messaging features in iMessage and WhatsApp have absorbed some of that spontaneous coordination functionality.

Mobile shopping now dominates. The daughters' preference for laptop shopping has flipped for their generation. In 2026, mobile commerce accounts for the majority of online purchases, driven by dramatically improved mobile shopping experiences and one-tap checkout options.

Key Takeaways for Internet Marketers

• Young consumers bypass Google for product searches when they know what they want, going straight to Amazon or brand websites
• Review and comparison content captures the research phase when shoppers do use Google
• Social platforms serve different purposes: news, friends, celebrities, and brands each have their own channel
• The generation that grew up online has strong opinions about which platforms serve which purpose
• Mobile experience quality directly affects whether users shop on their phones or switch to laptops

Listen and Subscribe

Listen to Late Night Internet Marketing on Apple Podcasts or subscribe at latenightim.com/internet-marketing-podcast/.