A survey by UCLA shows that many young people want to see less romance and sex scenes in movies and series. Instead, they desire more friendships and platonic relationships in stories.
What kind of survey is this? The survey comes from the University of California (short: UCLA). The Center for Scholars & Storytellers (short: CSS) published the results of their annual Teens & Screens Report in October 2023.
It revealed that teenagers and young adults, who are considered a primary target group for many advertisers, want to see less of a specific thing in movies and series: We’re talking about romance and sex.
Game of Thrones also has many sex scenes, which is likely not well-received by young adults:
Less Romance, More Platonic
What do the results say? The study showed that the majority (51.5%) of teenagers and young adults aged 13-24 want to see more content about friendships and platonic relationships. Only 15.3% disagreed with the statement, while 33.3% are neutral on the topic.
Moreover, almost half (47.5%) of the respondents stated that most series and movies do not need sexual content for the plot. Additionally, 44.3% of those aged 13 to 24 believe that romance is overrepresented in the media.
Instead of traditional heterosexual relationships between men and women, many young people are also demanding more diversity in the media. For example, about 39% of respondents want to see more aromantic and asexual characters in movies and series.
Aromantic individuals, on the other hand, feel little or no romantic attraction to others.
Individuals who identify as both aromantic and asexual are also referred to as AroAce.
If you are interested in the full results of the survey, you can find the complete report from Teens & Screens for 2023 here.
Our colleagues from Filmstarts have investigated when sex on set was simulated and when it was real. Here you can find their analysis.
What else does the study show? Additionally, these key findings were obtained in the survey regarding the film and television preferences of teenagers and young adults (via newsroom.ucla.edu):
- 56% of 10- to 24-year-olds prefer original content over franchises and remakes.
- Twice as many teenagers prefer “Binge Releases“ over weekly drops.
- Teenagers want to see a life on screen that resembles their own.
How do you feel about the depiction of romance and sex in movies and series? Would you like to see more platonic relationships, or do you enjoy the strong focus on romance in films and series? Feel free to let us know in the comments.
If you enjoy series like Game of Thrones, where things can get heated, then check out this list:
