Gen Z Wants More Animation and Less Sex Onscreen, According to Teens & Screens Survey

UCLA’s Center for Scholars & Storytellers released its annual Teens & Screens report Wednesday, yielding eye-opening insights into the tastes and preferences of young media consumers. This year’s report is titled “Get Real: Relatability on Demand,” as the findings show that teens and youths are craving relatability and authentic representation across a myriad of metrics as they relate to media.

The study surveyed 1,500 Americans between the ages of 10 and 24 about their media consumption habits and preferences. The sample was proportionally reflective of the United States’ Gen Z population in terms of racial, ethnic, gender, sexual, ability, economic and geographic diversity. Responses were collected between Aug. 13 and Aug. 25.

While the responses were as diverse as the teens polled, a few distinct trends emerged from the data. Notably, it seems that America’s youth is more drawn to traditional media than one might expect, but that social experiences can still emerge from movie and TV consumption.