Gen Z hits different
Gen Z says they want “less sex” in tv/film
Gen Z says they want “less sex” in media and a little about what they do want. (Nice News)
This research surveyed 1,500 people in what is currently one framework for Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012). Ages 10-24.
Here’s a statement I wouldn’t expect from a 17-year-old boy:
“There’s a complete lack of platonic relationships in American cinema.”
Some interesting data:
“The majority (51.5%) of middle and older adolescents, those between the ages of 13 and 24, would like to see more content centered on platonic relationships and friendships. Nearly half (44.3%) felt that romance is overused in media, and 47.5% responded that sex is unnecessary to the plots of most TV series and movies.”
“When asked to respond to a list of 21 different types of content and storylines they’re interested in seeing, all age groups had the same top answer: “Hopeful, uplifting content with people beating the odds,” which was followed by “people with lives like my own.” The third top choice was “action and/or fight scenes” and No. 4 was “superheroes.””
“According to Stanford researcher Roberta Katz, the typical Gen Zer is someone who, in part, “deeply cares about others, strives for a diverse community, [and] is highly collaborative and social.” They also generally have less sex than their Gen X and millennial counterparts.”
“Most participants also expressed the desire for more original content, rather than remakes and franchises. And nearly 70% said they watch TV and movies either for entertainment or as an “escape.””
Part of this has me wondering (as an extension of my own evolving positions on the matter) if this pertains to fears about what the future will hold and what society and the state of our planet (Earth) may be like in 2040, 2050, and beyond. The article points out, “Adolescents are looking to media as a ‘third place’ where they can connect and have a sense of belonging — and with frightening headlines about climate change, pandemics, and global destabilization, it makes sense they are gravitating towards what’s most familiar in those spaces.”
Climate anxiety is a reason that, I suspect, many have questioned whether it’s ethical to have children. What is the world you’re bringing these children into? What is the future world they will inhabit if we fail to turn things around? These are scary questions.
Human ingenuity is, frankly, amazing when it comes to problem-solving in the clutch. I truly believe we will find ways to walk back the climate crisis to create a situation that is “manageable” and a planet that is habitable. But, with that being said, there may still be massive loss of animal and plant life, food insecurity issues as a result of monoculture and other bad practices, fights over water (seems almost inevitable at this point though there are plenty of smart folks working on viable fixes).
Gen Z and Gen Alpha are going to be living with feelings of precarity (my word of the year) for the foreseeable future. Hopefully Gen X and Millennials will be able to help construct a better world for the younger generations as the older generations gradually are handed the baton of societal power from Boomers.
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What are your thoughts? What might the future hold?
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