Teens and Screens 2025 Report
About the Study
Teens and Screens is an annual research report based on a nationwide survey of 1,500 tweens, teens, and young adults conducted by the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA (CSS) to understand more about what young people care about and want to see in entertainment media. Check out prior years’ reports here. View our press release for this project on UCLA’s newsroom here.
1. Traditional media is social, too
57% said they watch traditional media more than older generations think they do, nearly four times more than those that disagreed (only 14.9%).
53% of adolescents said they discuss TV shows and movies with their friends more than they discuss content on social media – only 18.6% said it was the other way around.
2. Back to life: Back to Reality
Realistic, relatable stories swept the topics list this year.
Teens once again want to see relatable stories more than fantasy, real-world issues, or aspirational stories - a 35.3% jump over last year.
3. Friendship comes first, even in romance!
59.7% of adolescents aged 14 to 24 said they “want to see more content where the central relationships are friendships”
60.9% want to see more romantic relationships that are “more about the friendship between the couple than sex”
"If the situations are too over-the-top or the characters only care about popularity or romance, it's harder for me to relate or care about the story.”
– 13-year-old boy, White/Caucasian, Michigan
Check out the full report to view many more findings, direct quotes, and data visualizations.
In gaming, inclusion is the final boss
67.9% of adolescents say video games make them feel connected to their friends.
56.9% of girls/young women and 64.5% of boys/young men report feeling pressure to "act a certain way" because of their gender while gaming socially, representing a pervasive lack of belonging.
55.9% of Asian and 56.3% of Hispanic/Latino gamers say they have trouble finding video games with characters that look like them.
How to Cite This Report:
Puretz, M., Hines, A., & Uhls, Y.T. (2025). Get Real! Relatability on Demand. Teens & Screens 2025. Center for Scholars & Storytellers. https://www.scholarsandstorytellers.com/teens-screens-25
Thank You to Our Sponsors
About the Authors
-
Matt Puretz, M.A.
Senior Researcher
Matt Puretz (he/they) is a Senior Researcher at CSS. He specializes in connecting creators to evidence-based insights from media psychology, helping them develop content that inspires social impact.
-
Alisha J. Hines, PhD
VP of Research & Programs
As VP of Research & Programs, Dr. Alisha J. Hines leads the research team and oversees all studies conducted at the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA. She earned her PhD in History & African American Studies from Duke University and is a former faculty member of Wake Forest University's History Department.
-
Yalda T. Uhls, MBA, PhD
Founder and CEO
Founder and CEO of the Center for Scholars & Storytellers, Dr. Yalda T. Uhls is an internationally recognized, award-winning research scientist, educator, and author, who specializes in studying how media affects young people. She received her MBA and PhD in developmental psychology from UCLA, is a former movie executive at companies like MGM and Sony, and is a proud Gen Z parent.