New UCLA Study Finds Gen Z Teens Want Less Sex on Screen
explicit content, both in television and movies. Conducted by the Center for Scholars and Storytellers at UCLA, the «Teens and Screens» report emphasizes that 51.5% of adolescents are expressing a preference for content highlighting friendships and platonic relationships.
The study included the opinions of approximately 1,500 young participants, with 100 representatives from each age group within the 10-24 range.
According to the survey, 44.3% of youth believed that there was an excessive use of romance in the media. Approximately 39% expressed a preference for the increased representation of aromantic and/or asexual characters, while 47.5% conveyed the opinion that sex is not a crucial element in the majority of TV show and movie plots.
The young participants in the study discussed media stereotypes and conveyed a shared desire for the de-centering of sex and romance.
A 17-year-old Black male from Georgia stated that he didn't appreciate it when male and female characters on screen were made to fall in love every time they appeared together, as he perceived a complete absence of platonic relationships in American cinema.
A majority (56%) of adolescents aged 10-24 prefer original content over franchises and remakes. Twice as many adolescents show a preference for binge releases compared to weekly episode drops.
