According to a new study, funny teen comedies and sexual dramas are losing popularity among Generation Z viewers. Please, no sex, we are Generation Z.
According to new data from the Center for Scholars and Storytellers at the University of California, viewers from Generation Z are tired of sexual content on screen.
The annual report from the American university titled "Teens and Screens," released this week, surveyed 1,500 young people and teenagers aged 10 to 24 in the U.S. in August.
The report states that members of Generation Z crave credibility and authenticity in media: 59.7% said they "want to see more content where the main relationships are friendships"; 54.1% said they want to see "characters who are not interested in romantic relationships at the moment"; and 48.4% of teenagers stated that there is "too much sex and sexual content" in modern films and TV shows.
Indeed, romance ranked second to last among the themes that teenagers would like to see on screen. Toxic relationships and love triangles were also among the most tiresome tropes for young viewers.
Instead, Generation Z prefers animation over live-action - rising from 42% in 2024 to 48.5% this year.
These results should not be surprising, as a study from the University of California conducted in 2023 already showed an increased inclination among Generation Z towards plots centered on platonic relationships rather than explicit sexual encounters. Researchers termed this emerging trend "nomance," which aligns with studies showing a decline in sexual activity among Generation Z.
For example, a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted in 2021 indicated that only 30% of teenagers had engaged in sexual relationships, significantly down from 38% in 2019 and over 50% in previous decades.
CDC representative Kathleen Ethier stated at the time that this decline could be a good sign if it reflects more young people making healthy decisions to postpone sex and reduce the number of partners. However, she added, "I worry that this may reflect social isolation."
Last year, the University of California published a report titled "Teens and Screens" called "Reality Bites! More Fantasy, More Friendship" - it also showed that young viewers want more films dedicated to platonic relationships. Over 62% of respondents aged 10 to 25 agreed that sexual content is not necessary for plot development in films or TV shows.
Also last year, The Economist found that Hollywood films contain 40% less sexual content compared to the early 2000s, and about half of all films do not contain any sexual content at all.
What is even more surprising and contradicts stereotypes is that the University of California study conducted this year also indicates that young people still want to go to the movies, continue to watch films and TV shows, and are eager to discuss what they have seen with friends.
