In series like ‘Euphoria’, for example, is it the sex scenes that encourage young people to tune in? A new studio at UCLA has provided interesting insights into what young people really want to see in movies and TV shows. The result may surprise some people: 47.5% of respondents between the ages of 13 and 24 say sex and romantic relationships are too prominent in TV shows and movies.
In the survey among 13 to 14 year olds, 51.5% of respondents said they would like Want to see more stories that focus on friendships and platonic relationships. 39% said they especially want to see more non-romantic and/or asexual characters. 44.3% believe that romantic topics are overused in the media.
UCLA study: What teens really want to see
For the study, the Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS) of the renowned University of California interviewed a total of 1,500 young people between the ages of 10 and 24 (including the so-called ‘Gen Z’) in various categories in August 2023. 100 people were interviewed. from each year, although the younger participants were not asked questions about sex and the like. The results were in Teens and Screens Report published.
In an accompanying copy UCLA press release interprets Dr. Yalda T. Uhls, founder and director of the CSS and co-author of the study, summarized the results as follows: “It is true that adolescents want less sex on television and in movies, but What the research actually says is that they want to see more and more different types of relationships represented in the media they watch.”
Love triangles and the like are out
The youth have grown tired of the same representation of relationship patterns: Romantic tropes ranked fourth among the most unpopular stereotypes, These include storylines about how relationships are necessary for happiness, that male and female protagonists must always ultimately be romantically linked, and love triangles.
Dr. explains why young people increasingly want to see other types of relationships. Yalda T. Uhls as follows: “We know that young people are suffering from an epidemic of loneliness and they look for role models in the art forms they consume. While many storytellers use sex and romance to quickly connect with characters, “It’s important for Hollywood to recognize that teens want stories that represent the full spectrum of relationships.”
Uhls also points to recent studies showing that young people today are having less sex than their parents did at the same age, and that many prefer to remain single.
After COVID-19, young people think differently
Stephanie Rivas-Lara, Youth Engagement Manager at CSS and lead author of the study, is not surprised by the results: “As part of Gen Z myself, I was not surprised by some of the results we are seeing this year. As a result of COVID-19 and the associated isolation, there has been widespread debate among young people about what community means.”
Media is now increasingly a ‘third place’ for young people, allowing them to connect and feel like they belong.
Some other key findings from the study include:
- 56% of young people aged 10 to 24 prefer original content over remakes, franchises or adaptations of books, comics, etc.
- 50.5% of young people clearly or at least slightly prefer binge-watching, while only 25.5% prefer the weekly publishing model.
- Young people prefer to see ‘lives like their own’ in films and series – in the ranking of topics that young people want to see, it came in second place, while ‘lives that are different from their own’ only came in eighth place1, by the way : “Hopeful, uplifting content in which people overcome adversity.”
Overall, there is an increasing need for authenticity in the media. In the film and series sector, ‘Stranger Things’, ‘Barbie’, ‘Heartstopper’ and ‘The Summer When I Became Beautiful’ were mentioned as authentic content. MrBeast’s YouTube channel was voted the most authentic media content.