Young people are watching movies and shows, but want relatable content

Hollywood may think young people are only interested in social media, but in reality they are watching more movies and shows than older generations think — and they'll watch more if they feel the content is interesting, according to a new UCLA study.

More than half of young people surveyed, or 57%, said they watch more television and films than older generations think, although they view this content differently than older generations. Nearly half of respondents said they mostly watch TV and movies on personal devices such as tablets, phones or laptops.

And about 78% said they “at least sometimes” watch movies and shows through YouTube, TikTok or other social platforms, according to the annual Teens and Screens report from the Center for Scholars and Storytellers in the UCLA Department of Psychology. (The report surveyed 1,500 people ages 10 to 24 across the United States)

Unlike last yearOnce young people preferred fantasy to other genres, they now want to see stories that reflect lives similar to their own and are more interesting, as opposed to more magical content or inspirational stories about rich or famous people, the report says.

More than half of those surveyed said they want to see more stories where friendship is the centerpiece of relationships, especially mixed friendships, rather than relationships that always end up being romantic.

“From a developmental and neurobiological perspective, they're really focused on learning how to be friends,” said Yalda T. Uhls, senior author of the study and founder and executive director of the UCLA Center for Scholars and Storytellers. “They want an accurate reflection of their reality.”

This sentiment is reflected in the types of films and shows that younger respondents said they have watched them. Netflix's teen hit “Stranger Things” topped the rankings, followed by Jenna Ortega's “A Wednesday” and Nickelodeon's animated series “SpongeBob SquarePants.”

According to the report, central romance series such as “The Vampire Diaries” and “The Summer I Got Beautiful” are lower on the list.

Young people are also tired of stereotypes, including love triangles, toxic relationships that turn romantic, and relationships based primarily on physical attraction.

These findings point to the types of stories that are increasingly attracting young people to theaters or screens, Uhls said.

“It’s not enough to have something that really resonates with them,” she said. “When there's something like 'Wicked' about friendship and 'Barbie' about friendship, they go and watch it.”