A Note from the Gen Z Authors of the 2023 Teens & Screens Report
Less romance and more friendship - this is what the adolescents of our 2023 study have asked to see from media, entertainment & storytellers (among other things).
As researchers in the industry, this felt like a headline-worthy discovery. But as young people, this felt like an idea that could casually blend into our many conversations and reflections on community (or lack thereof) that have been centerstage for our generation this year.
Late night musings with friends, discourse on social media, and personal meditation on what it means to connect and bond with others have all been consequential “gifts” from the COVID-19 pandemic. The outbreak and the isolation that came with it occupied pivotal years of emotional and relational growth for much of Gen Z, with current high school freshmen being in 5th grade (!) when stay-at-home orders were first announced.
Even as we’ve returned to more in-person routines, articles and YouTube essays on persisting loneliness continue to float around: some with a more analytical perspective, exploring reasons we may have entered “the Friendship Recession,” others more personal and titled with a simple but heartbreaking “I have no friends.”
So what’s the sitch? Earlier this year, U.S Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared an epidemic of loneliness and isolation, his advisory confirming that the pandemic simply brought an existing issue to the forefront of our collective consciousness. Social connection has already been declining for decades prior, with the rate of loneliness among young adults having increased every year between 1976 and 2019. Quite surprisingly, young adults today are twice as likely to report feeling lonely than those over 65.
Gen Z is already discussing solutions: #UrbanPlanning on TikTok currently has 434.2M Views, with a frequently discussed topic being “walkable cities” and how they are needed for social well-being. A trending sub-topic is the necessity of “third places,” a social environment such as a bookstore or diner, separate from one’s living or working spaces, “where you relax in public, where you encounter familiar faces and make new acquaintances.” Think Central Perk in Friends!
The problem is, there aren’t many third places left for young people. From the death of malls, to the criminality of “loitering,” and a transactional culture that demands spending money to hang out in such a place - where do young people go?
Arguably, as “digital natives,” media (particularly, social media) is where young people tend to land on as their third place.
How does this digital third space contribute to this generation’s collective identity? In our opinion, what’s crucial for storytellers to grasp about Gen Z isn’t the latest slang or weekly trends. Rather, what’s important is understanding the expanded worldview that comes with growing up on the internet and being able to interact with a myriad of different perspectives. What’s important is understanding how the opportunities they’ve had to explore their own identities and understand others’ identities have shifted and changed the kinds of stories they’re open to, the kind of characters they want to see front and center, and the storylines they believe to be authentic.
And while it’s essential to examine how this “digital native” identity sets Gen Z apart from previous generations, it’s also important to acknowledge that they are the same as previous generations: they are social beings that need face-to-face interaction, something that digital connectedness cannot replace.
We received the following response from a 12-year-old participant in Oklahoma:
“The Sand Lot is a baseball movie i like. i wish i could go outside and play like [they] did at the time. today its not safe”
Though simple, his words felt like a poignant representation of what many of our respondents seemed to be hinting at: that the core essence of kids (at heart) and teens will always be the same – from camaraderie to curiosity and a sense of adventure (or even just playing outside) – and it appears that somewhere along the way, this may have been forgotten in storytelling.
So young people are feeling a lack of close friendships, a separation from their community, and a sense that their digital citizen identity has superseded their sense of belonging in the real world - What can you do about it?
Well, it goes without saying that life and art are in perpetual conversation with one another. But, we cannot underestimate the role art has in this dynamic: Oscar Wilde shared in his 1891 essay, The Decay of Lying, that despite the existence of fog in London for centuries, its beauty and wonder is noticed because “poets and painters have taught the loveliness of such effects…They did not exist till Art had invented them.”
Storytelling (as an art) has the incredible power to influence the mood of the zeitgeist and the lens through which people see the world. Ask young people what it is they want to see, then listen: Shine a light on the ideas, characters, and relationships they desire in your stories, and the same light will appear in the real world.
Sarah, 17
Media consumption: 8 hours a day
Favorite Media/Technology: Instagram and TikTok
How do you and your family interact with media/technology?
We watch TV together. TikTok I use on my own, but like TV shows or reality shows, we’ll watch together. We’re also friends with each other on social media.
How do you and your peers interact with media/technology?
My friends and I use Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter for memes. We send each other TikToks.
What do you use media for?
I use media to talk to my friends and for entertainment. I follow celebrities, my friends, mental health, and food accounts because they are fun to watch, and I learn too.
What is your favorite/least favorite thing about media/technology?
My favorite thing about media is that it is very entertaining, and I can find out a lot of celebrity drama through it. My least favorite thing is media can get really toxic, and it makes me compare myself to others. Especially when I look at all the other girls online, and it makes me compare my body to theirs. I don’t really like to post anymore because people can judge and think I’m not cool or fun. They can be really mean to other people online.
What is one thing you want the people who create the media you like to watch/play/interact with to know?
Know that your audience can be very young, so it is important to be careful with what you say and do because that can influence me and other people a lot.
What media do you interact with the most?
I spend the most time on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
Where do you get most of your information about what’s happening in the world (e.g., news, internet, parents, etc.)?
Sometimes my parents tell me about important things, but I find out a lot from social media because people always post about important news.
What media helps you stay busy/stay calm during challenging times?
I like to watch TikToks because there is so much content, and it’s really easy to keep scrolling. I also like that I can find people with similar interests or people I can relate to.
What lessons have you learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
I learned how to be more considerate of other people and also how important socializing is because school was really hard when it was online. Social media helped me stay in touch with my friends.
Have you learned anything about how you use media and technology because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
I learned that I spend a lot of time on my phone and watching videos, but I think I spent more time on it because there wasn’t a lot to do.
Interviewed by: Michelle Shin, UCLA student
Samuel, 16
Media Consumption: Instagram and TikTok. I recently deleted TikTok because I was wasting time and because it wasn’t useful and I would procrastinate other duties (like school and after school activities). I keep Instagram on my phone and average between thirty mins and an hour a day in usage.
Favorite Media/Technology: My favorite media is video games because with online video games I can connect with other people like people everywhere, even people who don’t live where I do. But, I only play during school breaks, like winter break. My favorite video games are Monster Hunter or Halo.
How do you and your family interact with media/technology?
We don't. I use it to view others, I don’t post much. Just to see how people are doing and stuff. We interact with technology as a resource, not too much as to post to let other people see what we are doing. We do watch TV, movies, and order things off of Amazon on the computer. Sometimes I text my siblings to send them memes. Since my brother and sister are away in college I have to text or FaceTime them when I talk to them.
How do you and your peers interact with media/technology?
We don't really text much, we prefer to see each other in person. We only text to set up a date and time. Or if it's urgent like I forgot something at school, or a last minute ride.
What do you use media for?
Communicating with others and catching up with them to see how they are. Most of the time I use it when I am bored.
What is your favorite/least favorite thing about media/technology?
My favorite thing is that it allows me to communicate with others. My least favorite is that it is very addictive. Like on Instagram, it sends you notifications of who posted or dm’ed you.
What is one thing you want the people who create the media you like to watch/play/interact with to know?
I want them to know that they shouldn’t portray ideas on the youth that they are. Ideas like your body should be perfect, or a lot of political ideas that children shouldn’t be thinking of at the time. Children the ages of anywhere between from when they first get their phone to at least 16/17. They usually get their phone around 5yrs old or middle school. But by the time they complete high school they already have it. Political ideas are corrupting our youth into thinking that they should be agreeing with the media. People who share political ideas are advertisements that pop up or influencers like YouTubers. Influencers like instagram models, give people an image that they should look like that.
What media do you interact with the most?
I interact with Instagram the most.
Where do you get most of your information about what’s happening in the world (e.g., news, internet, parents, etc.)?
Instagram reels or accounts. Especially like Visalia Stringer (the home town page). My mom and dad put the news on in the morning and on the weekend I get to listen to it.
What media helps you stay busy/stay calm during challenging times?
Media doesn’t help me stay calm, it makes me anxious. There's a lot of negative stuff going on and even the positive stuff makes me anxious because I never know if it's real or if they are lying. Spotify does help me though, whenever I listen to it, it helps.
What lessons have you learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
I learned to give myself opportunities and to not be so hard on yourself and on others. Since at that time, I didn’t have a phone and social media, I learned about taking care of myself. Like exercising regularly, drinking enough water, mentally taking care of myself, making sure I am eating healthy enough. I came to realize that if I could do something about something, I shouldn’t worry, and if I can’t do something about it I also shouldn’t worry. Just accepting the fact that things are out of my control has brought me a lot of peace.
Have you learned anything about how you use media and technology because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
I mostly learned how to use media due to the examples that my siblings have given me. I saw how they would post and I would do that, or how they kept Snapchat and how they kept up with their friends. So I did it too.
Interviewed by: Daniela Noricumbo, UCLA student
Emma, 10
Media Consumption: 3 hours a day
Favorite Media/Technology: Tik Tok
How do you and your family interact with media/technology?
My family and I watch movies together, share cool videos with each other, and listen to music together. We also have rules in our home for using technology which is no usage before brushing our teeth in the morning or after brushing them at night, no usage at the dining table, and no usage before all of our homework is done.
How do you and your peers interact with media/technology?
We make music videos together, watch TikToks together and learn the dances from them, send each other funny Snapchats with filters, and FaceTime to do our homework together.
What do you use media for?
I use media to interact with my friends when I am not with them, to listen to music and watch TikToks and TikTok dances, to send videos to my friends and family, to learn about new trends, and to work on homework with my friends.
What is your favorite/least favorite thing about media/technology?
My favorite thing about media/technology is that I can talk to my friends and my parents even when I am not with them. My least favorite thing about media/technology is that sometimes I feel like there are too many trends to follow and if I don’t follow them fast then I am not as cool as the people who do.
What is one thing you want the people who create the media you like to watch/play/to interact with to know?
I think that the people who create media like TikTok should make sure all of their information is correct when people post things because a lot of the time people post videos and pictures that are not true and it can confuse a lot of people.
What media do you interact with the most?
I probably use TikTok and Snapchat the most because I love watching videos and I also love sending funny Snapchats with filters to my friends.
Where do you get most of your information about what’s happening in the world (e.g., news, internet, parents, etc.)?
I get most of my information about the world from my parents. I see a lot of information on TikTok but I always ask my parents to make sure that it is true because I know a lot of the time not everything is true.
What media helps you stay busy/stay calm during challenging times?
I like watching TV or movies to stay calm because it makes me laugh and forget that things are hard or challenging like COVID was when I couldn’t see any of my friends.
What lessons have you learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
A lesson that I learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that it is important to stay in touch with people especially when you can’t see them because sometimes people can feel like you don’t care about them. I felt like when my friends didn’t talk to me that we were not friends anymore so I think it is important.
Have you learned anything about how you use media and technology because of the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging times?
I learned that when there is nothing else to do a lot of people use too much media and technology because they are bored. My brother Liam played video games for so many hours and my parents didn’t like it but he always said there was nothing else for him to do and he was bored.
Interviewed by: Maya Luzon, UCLA student
You’ve got a friend in me - The Benefits of Parasocial Relationships
You’ve got a friend in me - The Benefits of Parasocial Relationships
Have you ever wondered why Dora, from Dora the Explorer, takes a deliberately long pause after directing a question to young viewers? This type of interaction invites participation and maintains children’s attention. This seemingly social exchange that occurs through the screen can facilitate relationship-building akin to a face-to-face interaction, such that over time children will form relationships with their favourite media characters. These one-sided, emotionally charged relationships between a person and a media character are called parasocial relationships.
What makes a parasocial relationship?
Parasocial relationships in early childhood (0-8 years old) typically involve three factors: 1) attachment and friendship, 2) human-like needs (personification), and 3) social realism.
Attachment to media characters occurs when children seek proximity to them for comfort and security, as with attachment to a real person. Perceived friendship also strengthens this bond. For instance, preschoolers were more likely to transfer a problem solving solution to a similar, real-life scenario if they had greater trust in the character demonstrating the problem. In addition, school-age children prefer and are more strongly attached to characters of their same gender.
Personification refers to children attributing person-like qualities to media characters, including humanlike needs such as hunger. Children’s nurturing behaviors (e.g., putting to bed) towards a physical character toy are positively related to learning from that same character via video.
Social realism is the likelihood a media character could exist in the real world. The more realistic a child’s favorite character appears and acts, the greater the strength of the parasocial relationship.
Can children learn from media characters?
The answer to this question varies and can be largely dependent on the age of the child. For example, young children have trouble applying what they learn from two-dimensional (2D) sources, such as television, to the physical world, which is termed the transfer deficit. This effect can be mitigated when the 2D content is socially relevant to children (e.g., familiarity). For example, toddlers were more likely to learn an early math skill from watching a video of a familiar character, Elmo, than an unfamiliar character from Taiwan, DoDo. Additionally, children did even better on this task if they exhibited nurturing behaviors toward a physical toy of the familiar character (e.g., feeding it, rocking it like a baby).
However, it should be noted that familiarity alone isn’t always enough to promote learning through media. In another study, 18-month-olds were given a toy for three months that was either personalized to them or not personalized at all. The personalized toy said the child’s name and shared similar interests (e.g., same favorite food), whereas the impersonalized toy called the children ‘Pal’, had the opposite gender, and had randomly selected interests. After three months, children in both groups (i.e., those with personalized vs. impersonalized) watched a video demonstration of their toy’s character complete a math task and were then given the opportunity to try the task themselves. Their performance was compared to children who didn’t have the toy for three months and didn’t watch the video demonstration (control group). The children who played with the personalized toy (but not the impersonal toy), outperformed the control group on the math task. Again, more nurturing behaviors during toy play were related to improved performance. The authors concluded that the emotional bond children had with the personalized character was the reason for their improvement, rather than simply being familiar with the character.
Here are some actionable insights into how you might foster these parasocial relationships through media:
Attachment – create characters that make children feel safe and comfortable. In addition, show diverse characters so children are able to relate to them and build stronger attachments and relationships with them.
Personification – create characters that children can perceive as friends with thoughts and emotions, wants and needs.
Social realism – the extent of a character’s social realism becomes increasingly important with a child’s age. Imaginative play and treating characters as real during play begins in toddlerhood and peaks when children are about 4 years old. As children get older, their ability to distinguish between fantasy and reality improves, so it’s important to consider social realism during this developmental transition and beyond.
Personalization – children learn better when the information presented on-screen is socially relevant to them. For example, providing the option to program a child’s name and interests to a toy/app can be beneficial to learning from that character.
Take advantage of the multimedia landscape – provide a variety of platforms in which children can engage and interact with their favorite media characters (i.e., toys, apps, websites, shows, etc.).
Encourage parent participation – design content that invites the parent to participate, such as an eBook that encourages dialogic questioning. Parents can facilitate the parasocial relationship by encouraging their child to interact with the character on and offscreen (toy).
Social Contingency – newer media affords the design of intelligent characters that can provide timely, personalized responses to a child’s input, making the interaction more like a face to face conversation. For instance, preschoolers were more likely to respond to an onscreen character when the character seemed to wait for their response or repeated unanswered questions in comparison to when the character waited for a typical 2-second delay.
Brittany Huber, PhD
Collaborator of the Center for Scholars & Storytellers