Today’s teens and young adults may be shying away from media with sexual content, as a new study shows that nearly half of Gen Z viewers want to see less sex on screen.
The Center for Scholars and Storytellers at UCLA published the new Teens and Screens report Wednesday, gathering data from 1,500 members of Gen Z about what they want to see in the media they consume — whether their screen of choice is a TV or a smartphone. According to the study, 51.5% of adolescents (ranging from ages 10-24) want to see content that puts more emphasis on friendships and platonic relationships than romantic relationships, especially romantic relationships involving sex.
Interestingly, 47.5% of young people say that sex isn’t necessary for the plot of most TV shows and movies, while 44.3% of them feel that romance in media is overused, especially heterosexual romance.
The responses are based on studies showing an epidemic of loneliness among teenagers and teens having less sex than their parents did at their age — and most current programs don’t reflect that, as Dr. Yalda T. Uhls, founder and director of CSS and co-author of the study, explained in a press release with the release of the study results.
“While it’s true that adolescents want less sex on TV and in movies, what the survey is really saying is that they want more and different kinds of relationships reflected in the media they watch,” Uhls said. “We know that young people are suffering an epidemic of loneliness and they’re seeking modeling in the art they consume. While some storytellers use sex and romance as a shortcut to character connection, it’s important for Hollywood to recognize that adolescents want stories that reflect the full spectrum of relationships.”
There were other things that the study participants called out negatively as well, particularly toxic relationships and racial stereotypes, as well as played-out romantic tropes.
Still, there were other shows that participants named as positive friendships and platonic relationships, like Barbie, Stranger Things, and Heartstopper.
Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.
