Gen Z's Changing Stance: A Shift Towards Fewer Sexual Depictions in TV & Movies
Gen Z: Majority against sex scenes in TV & movies, demands shift from Hollywood
The majority of Gen Z audience members prefer TV shows and movies without any sex scenes, according to a recent poll. These intimate scenes have been present in films and television shows dating back to the era when our media could only be seen in black and white.
Most sex scenes in media serve the purpose of advancing the storyline or creating tension within a character's background, although they may be perceived as explicit or provocative. Nonetheless, it appears that not everyone appreciates such scenes in their entertainment, as indicated by a recent survey showing that Gen Z viewers are not particularly fond of on-screen intimate encounters.
Gen Z wants Hollywood to stop focusing on sex scenes
The Center for Scholars & Storytellers' recently conducted UCLA Teens and Screens study reveals that individuals between the ages of 10 to 24 express discontent with witnessing explicit relationships portrayed on their electronic devices.
48% of Gen Z audience members believe that the inclusion of sex and sexual content in the plot of most TV shows and movies is unnecessary, while 51.5% express a desire for media that emphasizes friendships and platonic relationships. Dr. Yalda T. Uhls, founder and director of CSS and co-author of the study, attributes this trend to the scientific reality that contemporary young people have less sexual activity than their parents did at the same age and often choose to remain single.
According to Uhls, the survey indicates that adolescents desire a greater variety of relationships depicted in the media they consume, rather than a decrease in sexual content on television and in films.
Young people are experiencing a widespread loneliness crisis and are actively searching for representation in the media they consume. Instead of relying on sex and romance as an easy way to establish character connections, it is crucial for Hollywood to acknowledge that adolescents crave narratives that depict a diverse range of relationships. According to Stephanie Rivas-Lara, CSS youth engagement manager and co-author of the study, this longing for more holistic relationships among Gen Z can be attributed to their experiences during the global lockdown.
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