How Gen Z and Gen Alpha Are Redefining Modern Storytelling
2026 Teens and Screens 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.
Modern Storytelling: Influencers Need Not Apply
More teens would cast new actors (39.8%) over known actors (38.2%) - just 16.8% would cast an influencer.
When asked which media can tell a story, YouTube (72.9%) was mentioned more than TV (70.3%) and movies (70.2%).
79% said that short form content can tell a story (Reels, YouTube, TikTok).
2. AI? It’s Complicated
The top emotions selected when asked how adolescents felt when they watched a story about AI were positively valenced, that is fascinated (28.2%) and excited (25.6%).
As adolescents aged up, the feeling of doom increased while excitement decreased.
3. More Neurodivergence Please
55% of adolescents want to see more neurodivergent characters, with specific sub groups particularly interested in these kinds of portrayals (those who identify as LGBTQIA+ (77.7%) and/or with a disability (74.8%)).
Only 22.7% believe that today’s portrayals of neurodivergence ring true most of the time.
63.8% of adolescents agreed that they would prefer the romance focused on the friendship of the couple rather than sex, a 2.9% increase from 2025.
Check out the full report to view many more findings, direct quotes, and data visualizations.
In gaming, adolescents report positive experiences and growing awareness of safety tools, while representation remains an area for growth:
For the second year in a row, adolescents report at nearly 3 times the rate of positively valenced emotions than negatively valenced emotions6 when speaking about gaming.
79.1% of adolescents are aware of how to report someone in the games they play, around 6 times more than those who do not know how!
Young people who identify as POC, LGBTQIA+, or with a disability find it difficult to find video games with characters that look like them.
How to Cite This Report:
Rivas-Lara, S., & Uhls, Y.T. (2026). Rewrite This! How Gen Z and Gen Alpha are Redefining Modern Storytelling. Teens & Screens 2026. Center for Scholars & Storytellers. https://www.scholarsandstorytellers.com/teens-screens-26
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
About the Authors
-
Stephanie Rivas-Lara, ACSW
Research Consultant
-
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.