News flash for Hollywood executives: Teenagers aged 13 to 24 want fewer sex scenes on TV and in films, according to a new study from UCLA.
The report, Teens and Screens, from the school’s Center for Scholars and Storytellers, found that 51.5% of teens would like to see more content depicting friendships and platonic relationships. While 1,500 young people were surveyed for the full report, with 100 participants from each 10-24 age group, only 13-24 year olds were asked about topics related to sex and romance. (The National Academy of Sciences defines adolescents as those between the ages of 10 and 24, which also coincides with the “Gen Z” generational distinction).
Also according to the survey, 44.3% of teens feel that “romance is overused in the media”. Some 39% would like to see more portrayals of aromantic and/or asexual characters, and 47.5% said that sex is not necessary to most TV show and film plots.
Recent teen shows have been known for their frequent sex scenes, such as HBO’s “Euphoria” and “The Idol”. But the Teens and Screens report quoted Olivia Rodrigo, who spoke to NME about whether she’d seen the latter series: “I don’t feel like it. I remember walking out of ‘Barbie’ and thinking, ‘Wow, it’s been so long since I’ve seen a film that’s female-centric in a way that’s not sexual or about her pain or her trauma.
Young people who participated in the study talked about media stereotypes and expressed a similar desire for sex and romance to be de-centred. A 17-year-old black male from Georgia said: “I don’t like that every time a male and female character are together on screen, studios feel the need to make them fall in love. There’s a complete lack of platonic relationships in American cinema.
A 23-year-old Asian woman from New York talked about another relationship stereotype: “The guy would be a jerk to the girl, but she would end up falling in love with him.”
Founder and director of CSS and co-author of the study, Yalda T. Uhls, said: “While it’s true that teens want less sex on TV and in movies, what the survey really says is that they want more and different kinds of relationships reflected in the media they watch.”
Uhls, who is also an associate professor in UCLA’s psychology department, continued: “We know that young people are suffering from an epidemic of loneliness, and they’re looking for models in the art they consume. While some storytellers use sex and romance as a shortcut to character connection, it’s important for Hollywood to recognize that teens want stories that reflect the full spectrum of relationships.
In addition, Uhls added that recent studies show that young people are having less sex than their parents did at their age, and many prefer to remain single.
