The reset is real, validated, and accelerating.
Reset Velocity measures how fast EMEA audiences are moving from broadcast to connection. The composite score blends three behavioural dimensions, weighted by behavioural-science evidence.
Audiences have left the public stage for private channels.
The first dimension: how much of social-media time is spent in conversation rather than broadcast. EMEA audiences now favour private channels by a 20-point margin.
Social is now used mostly for real conversations, not scrolling.
Asked what they mainly do on social media, "having real conversations" has overtaken "mostly scrolling" for the first time. The lines crossed between 2024 and today: the structural marker of the reset.
Mostly real conversations vs mostly scrolling · EMEA · 2019 to 2026
Conversation has overtaken consumption. Real-conversation use is up 42% since 2019 (index 142) while passive scrolling has fallen 13% (index 87). The reset is not a mood, it is a measured change in what social media is for.
The motivation to share is intrinsic, not extrinsic.
When audiences are asked why they share, the top reasons are connection-driven: close friends, documenting memories, being authentic. Likes and looking good sit far below.
Top-3 reasons EMEA adults share on social media
Intrinsic motivations dominate. 83% rank close friends in their top three reasons to share. That is twice the share of likes-and-followers. The motivation infrastructure of the reset is already in place.
The performance era is measurably fading.
When asked about the main reason for their most recent public post, the top answers are intrinsic: documenting moments and sharing things that are useful or funny. Posting for likes has fallen to a small minority.
Main reason for last public post · EMEA all adults
Only 12% post for likes or followers. The top two reasons are documenting (32%) and sharing something useful or funny (27%) - intrinsic motivations that account for nearly 6 in 10 of all recent posts. The performance era is measurably fading.
Audiences both share and prefer the unpolished.
Two distinct signals point the same way. The first is how people say they share today; the second is the kind of content they find most appealing from accounts they follow. Both move away from polish.
Question 1 · How people say they share today
Sharing and preference move together. People share casually (32% vs 21% polished) and they prefer casual from others (72% want something other than highly polished). For brands, over-produced creative is now swimming against both currents at once.
The audience for sharing has shrunk to the few.
When EMEA audiences picture who will see what they share, the answer is intimate, not broadcast. Brands are entering a small private room, not stepping onto a stage.
Who EMEA audiences picture reacting when they share
43% picture only one or a few specific people reacting when they share. Just 11% picture "the public". Brands optimising for reach are optimising for the audience size only 1 in 9 people actually picture. Audiences are entering an intimate room, not a stage.
Connection happens in recurring, real moments, not one-off posts.
The third dimension: depth, repetition, reciprocity. Daily check-ins, dormant-friend reconnections, plans made via DM. The behaviours that compound into real relationships.
The camera is for talking, not just posting.
Camera communication is no longer a novelty: it's a daily verb. Sending photos and short videos has become a primary way EMEA audiences hold conversations.
AR has crossed from novelty to infrastructure.
AR is no longer a fringe feature: three-quarters of EMEA adults have used it, and most see it as more than a gimmick. Rebased to active users so the signal is clean.
How active AR users see AR · by market · rebased to active-user base
Among active AR users, UK 43% and KSA/UAE 40% already see AR as "a new way I experience things", significantly above France and Germany (both 25%), and far above Nordics (17%). The UK and the Gulf are the markets where AR commerce will compound first. Nordics audiences remain AR-sceptical: 62% still treat it as just a fun gimmick, the highest of any market.
Try-before-you-buy is the universal opener, the UK is the AR-creative pioneer.
When asked which AR brand experiences appeal, virtual try-on leads everywhere. UK over-indexes meaningfully on every camera-commerce format, and stands out for creative-lens sharing.
Virtual try-on appeal · by market
Creative lens sharing appeal · by market
Virtual try-on appeals to 46% of UK adults, significantly above Germany and KSA/UAE. Creative lens sharing peaks in the UK at 31% and KSA/UAE at 28%, both significantly above France and Germany. The UK is the strongest near-term case for Snap's AR ad and commerce products.
What brands can own in-camera
The connection shift is accelerating in the UK and the Gulf.
When audiences are asked about their behaviour today versus 2024, UK and KSA/UAE show the fastest acceleration on private DM use, significantly above France and Germany. The reset is real, and moving fastest in the brand-open markets.
Private DMs: "more than 2024" · by market
Private DM growth is significantly highest in KSA/UAE (47%) and the UK (46%). France, Germany and Nordics are moving more slowly on the recent-shift measure. The UK and the Gulf are the markets where reset behaviour is accelerating fastest right now.
When brands show up, audiences want them in private.
EMEA audiences prefer private brand interactions over public comments by a wide margin: the same direction of travel as the rest of the reset.
Stated values outrun actual behaviour.
The Say-Do gap is a behavioural indicator: what people say matters when they share (Say) minus what actually drove their last post (Do). Scored 0 to 100, net of intrinsic minus extrinsic motivation. The wider the gap, the more unmet demand for authentic, private space.
EMEA total · Say-Do authenticity gap
People say authenticity matters far more than their posting shows. The gap is the latent demand the reset is moving to meet.
Move into private channels.
56% prefer private brand interactions. DMs are the dominant single channel (31%). Build for the small room, not the public stage.
Lead with intrinsic, not vanity.
Only 12% post for likes. Documenting and sharing useful or funny things are the dominant motivations. Create for the post that earns a save, not a like.
Use the camera as a conversation.
81% use the camera at least weekly to communicate instead of typing; AR is now infrastructure (74% have used it). Brand AR and camera-first creative are the next behaviour Snap owns.
Gen Z is past the tipping point. Millennials are following.
A 14-point cohort gap on the composite score today. Both cohorts are projected to move further by 2026: same destination, different speeds.
Living the reset: behavioural, native, leading
Reset-aware: attitudinal shift translating into behaviour
The cohort gap · where Gen Z leads Millennials
Every behaviour where Gen Z is ahead is a behaviour Snap's product is purpose-built for: unfiltered sharing, camera-comms, close-friend threads, plans made in DMs. The cohort gap is the commercial map.
Where Gen Z over-indexes most.
The behaviours that define the leading edge of the reset: concentrated in private, camera-first, recurring connection.
Where Millennials are catching up.
Millennials may be three years behind Gen Z on the reset, but the direction of travel is the same, and accelerating faster than Gen Z.
Millennials sit at 58 today, projected to reach 61 by 2026. On the trajectory Gen Z followed through 2022 to 2023, that places the Millennial crossover roughly 18 to 24 months out, the point at which the full EMEA market tips into the relational era. Projected from current growth rates, not a surveyed figure.
Stated values outrun actual behaviour.
The Say-Do gap is a behavioural indicator: what people say matters when they share (Say) minus what actually drove their last post (Do). Scored 0 to 100, net of intrinsic minus extrinsic motivation. The wider the gap, the more unmet demand for authentic, private space.
Gen Z (EMEA) · Say-Do authenticity gap
Gen Z hold the widest gap in the data (+43pp), the most frustrated cohort. Millennials sit at +30pp, values and behaviour more aligned.
Treat Gen Z as the leading indicator.
Every behaviour where Gen Z is ahead is a behaviour Snap is purpose-built for: unfiltered DMs, camera comms, close-friend threads. Read Gen Z behaviour now as Mil behaviour soon.
Don't write off Millennials.
Mil are reset-aware, not reset-behind. 77% camera weekly, 71% AR, 85% rank close friends top-3. The intent is identical, the behaviour is catching up.
The cohort gap is the commercial map.
Where Gen Z over-indexes is where Snap's product owns native behaviour. Build for Gen Z behaviour, scale to Mil as the gap narrows.
The strongest relationship layer in EMEA.
UK leads on durability behaviours and on brand receptivity. The reset here is being lived, not just stated, and audiences are open to brands that meet them in private.
United Kingdom · reset velocity trajectory 2019 to 2026
United Kingdom · the three dimensions
Connection-led, conversation-rich, brand-open.
UK is reset-leading and brand-open. Snap brand work that creates presence and reciprocity will compound here fastest. Show up consistently, in private, and with creative that rewards return.
The UK ranks top of EMEA on the reset-relevant signals that matter most for brands.
Conversation-led use · "mostly DMs and group chats" (top-2 box)
Private DMs: "more than 2024" · recent acceleration
Brand opt-out · "don't want any brand interaction"
Stated values outrun actual behaviour.
The Say-Do gap is a behavioural indicator: what people say matters when they share (Say) minus what actually drove their last post (Do). Scored 0 to 100, net of intrinsic minus extrinsic motivation. The wider the gap, the more unmet demand for authentic, private space.
UK · Say-Do authenticity gap
A moderate gap (+21pp): UK behaviour is closer to stated values than any European market. The reset here is lived, not just wanted.
Win the private DM moment.
42% of UK adults pick DMs as their preferred brand channel, the highest in EMEA. Lead with one-to-one brand response and DM-led campaigns.
Make the AR commerce play here first.
46% find virtual try-on appealing; 31% love creative lens sharing - both EMEA highs. UK is Snap's strongest near-term case for AR ad and commerce products.
Build for return, not reach.
54% of UK Gen Z reach out to dormant friends weekly. Brand work that creates ongoing presence will compound; campaign-style reach is leaving value on the table.
The most emotionally bonded market.
Authenticity Signal is exceptionally high in France: the strongest intrinsic motivation in EMEA, and Snap is unusually central to French Gen Z's back-stage.
France · reset velocity trajectory 2019 to 2026
France · the three dimensions
Realness is the cultural default, and Snap is the destination.
France over-indexes on intrinsic motivation and on Snap as a back-stage. Lead with intimacy and unfiltered creator partnerships. The appetite for realness is proven and Snap is the platform French Gen Z trust to hold it.
France leads on the emotional layer of the reset.
Snap as the unfiltered space · Gen Z
Close-friend motivation · top-3 reasons to share
Stated values outrun actual behaviour.
The Say-Do gap is a behavioural indicator: what people say matters when they share (Say) minus what actually drove their last post (Do). Scored 0 to 100, net of intrinsic minus extrinsic motivation. The wider the gap, the more unmet demand for authentic, private space.
France · Say-Do authenticity gap
The widest gap in EMEA (+64pp). France says authenticity matters most, and wants far more realness than platforms deliver.
Earn permission through realness.
86% rank close friends in their top reasons to share, the highest in EMEA. Realness is the cultural default, brand work that over-produces gets ignored.
Lead with creators, not campaigns.
Brand opt-out at 36% is high. 35% of French Gen Z say Snap is their unfiltered space (#1 EMEA). Mediated through trusted creators is the way in.
Use try-on to break through.
44% find virtual try-on appealing. France is brand-resistant but AR-receptive, the camera-commerce angle is the most permissive brand entry.
The market with the largest unmet demand.
Germany combines high Connection Intent (73) with stated authenticity motivations: the demand for the reset is here, and the room for brands to help shape what authentic connection looks like is largest in EMEA.
Germany · reset velocity trajectory 2019 to 2026
Germany · the three dimensions
High intent, strong realness motivation: room for brands to build the layer.
Germany has the highest stated intent and the largest gap between intent and behaviour. The prize is biggest here. First-movers in private brand interaction define what authentic brand presence looks like for a market that wants it.
Germany leads on connection intent, with the headroom to convert it into behaviour.
Connection Intent score · Reset Velocity dimension
Small audience pictured when sharing · "one or a few specific people"
Brand DM preference · % picking private DMs as #1 brand channel
Stated values outrun actual behaviour.
The Say-Do gap is a behavioural indicator: what people say matters when they share (Say) minus what actually drove their last post (Do). Scored 0 to 100, net of intrinsic minus extrinsic motivation. The wider the gap, the more unmet demand for authentic, private space.
Germany · Say-Do authenticity gap
A smaller gap (+25pp) built on lower stated value, the reset is still forming here. The demand has room to grow as intent translates.
Show up in brand DMs first.
35% pick private DMs as their preferred brand channel, the second-highest in EMEA. The brand-DM intent is here, very few brands are meeting it.
Build for the small audience.
56% picture only a small, specific audience when sharing, the highest in EMEA. Intimacy-default creative will land where broadcast creative bounces.
Define what authentic brand looks like.
High intent + low current behaviour means whoever moves first defines the category. The prize is biggest for the brands that show up before the behaviour fully forms.
Highest reset score, and the deepest Gen Z signal.
Nordics leads EMEA on the composite. Snap is the platform Nordics Gen Z trust most for their unfiltered self, by a significant cohort margin.
Nordics · reset velocity trajectory 2019 to 2026
Nordics · the three dimensions
Reset-native. Realness is the standard, Snap is the place.
Nordics is the leading indicator. The Gen Z behaviours here today are EMEA's tomorrow, and Snap is the platform that already holds them. Brand work that earns permission through value and creator-led storytelling wins.
Nordics leads EMEA on the composite Reset Velocity score.
Reset Velocity total score · by market
Authenticity Signal score · realness over polish
Brand opt-out · "don't want any brand interaction"
Stated values outrun actual behaviour.
The Say-Do gap is a behavioural indicator: what people say matters when they share (Say) minus what actually drove their last post (Do). Scored 0 to 100, net of intrinsic minus extrinsic motivation. The wider the gap, the more unmet demand for authentic, private space.
Nordics · Say-Do authenticity gap
A very large gap (+58pp). Nordics audiences are private by default and want still more realness than they get, a leading indicator for EMEA.
Read Nordics as the future state.
Highest RV in EMEA. Nordics Gen Z behaviours today are where EMEA Gen Z lands in 12 months. Use this market as a roadmap, not a campaign destination.
Earn the room, don't take it.
39% don't want brand interaction (#1 EMEA). Brand work that proves value first will compound, direct broadcast will be tuned out.
Snap-led creator work is the way in.
53% of Nordics Gen Z say Snap is their unfiltered space, the deepest single-cohort reading in the dataset. Creator-led, native, mediated through trust.
Most camera-embedded market in EMEA.
KSA + UAE leads EMEA on camera, AR, and AR-as-infrastructure. Brand-receptive, AR-fluent, conversation-led: all the levers of the reset are firing.
KSA + UAE · reset velocity trajectory 2019 to 2026
KSA + UAE · the three dimensions
Camera, AR, and brand-DM: all firing together.
Camera and AR are fully habituated. Brand opt-out is at the EMEA floor. Direct, AR-led brand experiences and private brand-DM work will compound here, and uniquely in EMEA, lead with Millennials.
KSA + UAE leads on the camera and AR layer.
Camera weekly+ use · send a photo or video to communicate weekly
AR adoption · ever used an AR lens or filter
Private DMs: "more than 2024" · recent acceleration
Stated values outrun actual behaviour.
The Say-Do gap is a behavioural indicator: what people say matters when they share (Say) minus what actually drove their last post (Do). Scored 0 to 100, net of intrinsic minus extrinsic motivation. The wider the gap, the more unmet demand for authentic, private space.
KSA + UAE · Say-Do authenticity gap
The smallest gap in EMEA (+10pp). KSA/UAE behaviour already tracks stated values closely, though both still skew partly extrinsic.
Lead with AR commerce.
87% have used AR (#1 EMEA), 32% already see AR as a "new way to experience things". This is where Snap's AR ad and commerce products should pilot first.
Camera is the channel.
92% use the camera weekly to communicate, the highest in EMEA. Brand work has to be camera-first, vertical-first, sharable-first.
Lead with Millennials.
Mil RV 66 vs Gen Z 64, uniquely Mil-led in EMEA. Brand strategy that targets young adults rather than teens will land where it doesn't elsewhere.
Snapchat is the platform for this reset.
The platforms that strengthen real relationships are the ones built for repeated, reciprocal contact. Among people who pick Snapchat as their most-used platform, every reset behaviour over-indexes sharply against the average across all other platforms. A small but distinctive segment, read as directional.
On every reset behaviour, Snap-preferred audiences sit far above the rest.
Each behaviour shown as the Snap-preferred score against the average across all other preferred-platform audiences. Index 100 = parity. Everything Snap is built for indexes well over 100.
Snap-preferred behaviour fills the whole frame.
The same five behaviours plotted as a profile. The gold shape is Snap-preferred, the lavender shape is the EMEA average. The gap between them is the platform-fit.
Reset behaviour profile · Snap-preferred vs EMEA total
The gold shape sits outside the lavender on every axis. Choosing Snap is itself a reset-aligned behaviour: the people who pick it as their main platform live the reset more fully than the average audience on every dimension Snap is built for. Snap is the destination, evidenced.
Snap is the only platform people open mainly to message.
Asked what they mostly do on each platform, private messaging is the single modal use of Snapchat, and of no other major platform. On every rival, the number one use is public posting or passive browsing. This is the behavioural reason Snap sits where the reset is lived.
Use the platform mainly for private messaging · by platform
Reaching people on Snap means entering a conversation, not interrupting a feed. At 48% private-primary use, Snap converts filtered, intentional attention that public-broadcast platforms cannot: the closest rivals sit less than half as high at 22%.
Snap-preferred ARE the reset.
Snap-preferred RV is 74, the highest of any platform's primary audience and +4 above EMEA total. Picking Snap as your most-used platform is itself a reset-aligned behaviour.
The over-index is universal.
Every reset behaviour indexes well over 100 against all other platforms: relationships 193, private DMs 323, barely curate 179. The platform-fit shows up at the behaviour level, not just on stated preference.
Built for connection, not reach.
74% say Snap strengthens real-life relationships and 59% open it mainly to message. The deeper the Snap commitment, the more reset-aligned the behaviour. Reach platforms cannot follow where Snap already is.