A new study is revealing that teens and young adults are less interested with sex in their media and want more friendships and platonic relationships. The “Teens and Screens” study conducted by the University of California, Los Angeles’ Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS) interviewed 1,644 adolescents aged 10-24 about their preferences for various types of media, including television, video games, social media, and movies. The study found that by 13, 68 percent were already using social media. By 16, that number was up to 90 percent. Just five percent didn’t use social media at all.

Regarding content, 62 percent of those questioned (14 and over) stated that sexual content is an unnecessary plot device, with 64 percent stating they’d rather TV shows and movies focus more on platonic relationships, highlighting the growing trend for a preference over “nomance” storylines over romance. Last year, 52 percent stated they wanted more platonic storylines. Movies were the top choice for young people as a form of entertainment, beating out concerts and sports activities.

When it comes to what type of shows and movies adolescents preferred to watch, fantasy continues to grow in popularity, with 36percent preferring the genre, growing 56percent from last year. Fantasy has continued to see a surge in media, with Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power staying away from the sexuality of House of the Dragon and maintaining a TV-14 rating, and the PG-13 rated movie Damsel featuring Millie Bobby Brown being anything but a damsel in distress. Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim is set to release this December with a PG-13 rating as well, and appears to feature the main character, Hera, saying no to an arranged marriage.

Adolescents also showed a preference for stories that focused on relatable personal issues (24 percent) and preferred storylines with a hopeful content where characters beat the odds. Yalda T. Uhls, founder and executive director of CSS, stated the COVID-19 pandemic could have a lot to do with younger people seeking out more escapist worlds and hopeful messaging. “Having been exposed to huge stressors during formative years like COVID-19 and 24-hour news cycles detailing incidents of mass shootings, divisive politics and war, young people are overwhelmingly experiencing crisis fatigue. This generation cares deeply about many social issues, but they also need a break mentally,” said Uhls. “It makes sense that we see many of them looking to the media for fantasy and stories with messages of hope to get relief from the many challenges that come with the reality of being a young person today.” She is hopeful that the study will help Hollywood to shift the types of storylines it develops for younger audiences. “The problem is often that Hollywood storytellers use their own memories of their teenage years or what their children in Los Angeles are doing, and that does not remotely represent what young people really want.”