Gen Z is Breaking the Mold, Preferring Films Centering Around Friendship Over Romance
Older adults have accused Gen Z of being a corrupt generation, a demographic that is addicted to their phones, consumes a steady diet of pornographic media, and communicates using slang and text speak rather than standard English. They say their brains are rotting and falling out of their orifices, hence the term “brain rot.” Yet the latest Teens and Screens survey—an annual report released by the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA—found that Gen Z prefers traditional movies to social media content and wants to see less sex and more friendships depicted on screen.
Despite popular belief, Gen Z prefers to talk about movies and TV shows they watched rather than about social media videos they scrolled past. Variety’s breakdown of the survey reports, “According to the study, 53% of young Americans discuss movies and TV shows with friends more than they discuss content they watch on social media.” Something about long-form media touches on the human experience in a way a 60-second TikTok video cannot. It requires thought, attention, and connection from both the on-screen characters and the viewers.
Moreover, Gen Z is craving in-person human connections. They are breaking free from their phone addictions to spend more time together. Variety notes, “Evidently, young people still want to go to the movies, share in the common experience with their friends and talk about what they watched.” Gen Z is still working to unlearn the isolation practices that were prevalent at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Part of that process has involved rediscovering the joy of the cinema.
The content of the films matters too. Gen Z is tired of seeing relationships focused on sex and wants to see a greater emphasis placed on friendships. Variety reports, “Specifically, 59.7% said that they ‘want to see more content where the central relationships are friendships,’ 54.1% said that they wanted to see ‘portrayals of characters who aren’t interested in romantic relationships at that point in time,’ 54.9% wanted to see more ‘different gender friendships’ on screen and 49% said they wanted to see more ‘same gender friendships.’ Within those on-screen friendships, respondents also showed a desire to see ‘healthy conflict resolution.’” Fairy-tale rom-com relationships are unrealistic, and Gen Z knows it. They are disillusioned by idealized on-screen relationships—both romantic and platonic—that don’t reflect their life experiences. What feels more real, relatable, and permanent is seeing powerful friendships that defy the odds by employing “healthy conflict resolution.”
When it comes to sex, Gen Z wants “to see romantic relationships depicted as ‘more about the friendship between the couple than sex.’” God designed sex as an act between a husband and wife (Genesis 2). Anything outside of that context is sexual immorality and leaves participants feeling emptier and more broken than before. Gen Z’s desire to see more movies that prioritize friendships over sex reflects their understanding that sex is no substitute for connection. Their dissatisfaction with empty, superficial relationships also demonstrates Gen Z’s hunger for truth and community.
On September 27th of this year, YouTuber Anthpo went undercover as an old man and convinced thousands of people to go outside and touch grass together. Later, on October 10th, TIME TO REFUSE staged a “Delete Day” in New York City, an event that encouraged young people to delete a social media app of their choice and then celebrate the first step in overcoming social media addiction together.
As a proud member of Gen Z, I’m excited by these media consumption trends. To me, they point to a brighter future in which community and face-to-face connection is valued and healthy and godly relationships are encouraged and celebrated. These elements have been missing in recent years, and this survey may encourage change throughout the entertainment landscape.
