A lot happens in a week, so every Friday we're going to analyze all the new data and provide you with some of the key takeaways. Welcome to the Friday 5.

This week, consumers reset their search habits, set a new relationship status with Facebook, and migrate from YouTube’s mobile app to the big screen.

Key stat: Consumers are redefining Valentine's Day as more than just a holiday for romantic partners, and brands can embrace this shift to create more diverse marketing campaigns. 60% of young adults 18-24 are at least somewhat likely to buy themselves a Valentine’s Day present this year, up from 58% last year, according to a CivicScience study.

• While self-gifting is down—just over one-third of Americans (34%) plan to self-gift this Valentine’s Day, down from 37% last year—it is still a priority for Gen Z, according to the study.

Key stat: Marketers are exploring new channels to cut costs. 91% of marketers identify email and other owned channels as their highest ROI generators, according to a Netcore report.

• 79% of marketers agree that customer acquisition costs are negatively affecting their brand performance. Email marketing delivers over 15x the ROI of paid ads, according to the report.

Key stat: Americans are picking up new search habits. 55% say the way they search for information online has changed in the last five years, according to adMarketplace’s “The State of Search in 2025” report.

• 48% use internet browsers other than Chrome or Safari, and more than three-quarters (78%) of alternative browser users say they have helped them discover new brands or products.

Key stat: Young consumers haven’t completely cut their time with Facebook—they are just using it differently. Nearly 35% of users in the 25-34 age group say they use it less for connecting socially, while 27% browse passively instead of actively engaging, according to a VP report.

• In the 18-24 age group, 33% say they’ve reduced their social connections on the platform, with 23% using Facebook primarily to scroll through content rather than post updates or interact, according to the report.
• While users are becoming more passive, Facebook remains a hub for product and brand discovery. Behind Instagram (62.3%), Facebook ranks second (52.5%) in share of adult users who use the platform to research brands, according to We Are Social’s “Digital 2025” report.

Key stat: Consumers are directing their attention back to the big screen. TVs are now bigger than mobile for YouTube’s US watch time, according to YouTube’s official blog.

• Viewers are watching, on average, over 1 billion hours of YouTube content on TVs daily, according to the statement.
• Consumers are also investing more in YouTube content. The platform reports a 40% increase in channel memberships in 2024.

This was originally featured in the EMARKETER Daily newsletter. For more marketing insights, statistics, and trends, subscribe here.