Generation Z, teenagers and young people between 13 and 24 years old, want less sex on screen, according to a study by the Center for Scholars and Storytellers at UCLA. The “Teens and Screens” report, which surveyed 1,500 participants, with 100 participants in each age group between 10 and 24, only asked those ages 13 to 24 about topics related to sex and romance.
Results
The study developed by UCLA showed the following result: 51.5% of adolescents would like to see more content that represents friendships and platonic relationships. Also according to the survey, 44.3% of young people felt that “romance is abused in the media.” And about 39% would like to see more representations of romantic and/or asexual characters, and 47.5% noted that sex is not necessary for most movie and TV show plots.
Recent youth-focused shows are paradoxically known for their frequent sex scenes. Fictions like “Euphoria” and “The Idol” from HBO among others. But the “Teens and Screens” report cited Olivia Rodrigo, who recently expressed her rejection of oversexualized plots: “I remember walking out of ‘Barbie’ and saying, ‘Wow, it’s been so long since I’ve seen a female-centered movie. in a way that is not sexual or about their pain or trauma.’”
Young people who participated in the study talked about media stereotypes and expressed a similar desire for sex and romance to be decentered.
Profiles
The director of the study, Yalda T. Uhls, commented: “While it is true that adolescents want less sex on television and in movies, what the survey really says is that they want more and different types of relationships reflected in the means they see.”
Uhls, who is an associate professor in the UCLA psychology department, continued: “We know that young people are suffering from an epidemic of loneliness and are looking for a role model in the art they consume. While some storytellers use sex and romance as a shortcut to connect characters, it’s important for Hollywood to recognize that teens want stories that reflect the full spectrum of relationships.” In addition, she added that recent studies indicate that young people have less sexual relations than their parents at their age, and many prefer to remain single.
56% of teenagers prefer original content to franchises and remakes AND want to see “lives like their own” represented on screen: the majority of respondents would choose a white man as the hero of the episode or movie, while Survey respondents last year favored a black man as the hero, a shift that some analysts say reflects over-correction by Hollywood.
Respondents make it clear that they love authenticity, and the largest group of young people aged 10 to 24 ranked MrBeast (the renowned YouTuber) as the medium that best represents them. And the report also found that teens overwhelmingly disapprove of aspirational content about wealth and fame, with only 10.5% of respondents citing it as their preference.
less sex
The General Social Survey of the University of Chicago had already indicated that three out of every 10 men of generation Z, between 18 and 25 years old, had reported not having had sexual relations in the last year. And one in four women, 25%, gave the same answer. The UCLA study found that the proportion of young adults who reported having two or more sexual partners also decreased, from 23% in 2011 to 9% in 2023. Generation Z is also more nomogamous.
Two co-authors of the study, Stephanie Rivas-Lara and Hiral Kotecha, described how the isolation of the Covid pandemic was critical to the prioritization of friendship in this generation, and cited clinical studies on the “friendship recession,” and the epidemic of loneliness announced by the American doctor Vivek Murthy. According to another study by Cigna Group, young people today are twice as likely to feel lonely as those over 65 years of age.
“There has been extensive discourse among young people about the meaning of community after Covid and the isolation that accompanied it. “Teens see media as a place where they can connect and feel a sense of belonging, and with terrifying headlines about climate change, pandemics, and global destabilization, it makes sense that they are gravitating toward what feels most familiar in those spaces.” Rivas-Lara explained to IndieWire.
Fictions
In an era of streaming television, the rules about what topics a teen show can address have completely changed. Previously, programs aimed at this audience were reserved when it came to sex. But they have come full circle in the last decade. Now, teens on screen can use recreational drugs and have multiple sexual relationships. An excess in light of the UCLA survey data.
But some producers have been aware of this change in trend, and inscribe their fictions in the correct quadrant of positive sexual relations. One example is “Never Have I Ever,” Mindy Kaling’s Netflix teen comedy-drama, which manages to capture the discomfort with high school, especially when it comes to sex. Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and her two best friends embark on their own crash course in sex, learning everything from Kegel exercises to elaborate sexual positions. And at the same time, the program reflects Fabiola’s (Lee Rodríguez) coming out process, sensitively sharing the anxiety she feels when revealing her sexual identity with friends and family.
“The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina”, far from the sexless version of the teenage witch of the 90s, suggests themes such as “an orgiastic witch festival”, basically a Coachella for sex intended for initiation that nevertheless motivates a solid lesson on how have control of your own body. Something similar to what happens in Hulu’s Pen15, which raises responses to the sexual awakening of preteens.
The normal
Also from Hulu, “Normal People” made a splash when it debuted in 2020 for offering a realistic depiction of a romantic relationship, between Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones. The sex scenes are honest, if a little graphic, and the show highlights a the importance of consent again.
On the opposite side, but celebrated by critics, HBO’s “Euphoria” describes adolescence in its most scandalous form. There is rampant drug use, domestic violence and, of course, sex. Kat (Barbie Ferreira) and her budding activity as a camgirl delves into current topics such as the explosion of Onlyfans and sex work, which has become more visible to the public. The show raises taboo topics without judging them, simply presenting them as a reality of Generation Z.
Finally, Netflix has two series for teenagers that have been the subject of debate for their sexual themes. “I’m Not Okay With This,” based on the graphic novel by Charles Forsman, stars Sophia Lillis as Sydney, a 17-year-old girl with anger issues and telekinetic powers (a sort of “Carrie”). And Syd experiences feelings for her friend Dina, despite having recently had sex with her friend Stanley. Her sexual fluidity is normalized within the context of the show, and although Syd feels insecure, her actions are not presented as wrong.
And the new season that just premiered, “Sex Education,” addresses a large number of topics including STDs, abortion and sexual identity. The program’s characters constantly change and grow, and although problems tend to repeat themselves, it renews themes reflecting the current adolescent agenda.
by RN
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