Over half of young people are straying away from sexy television.
Recent data from UCLA revealed that over 50% of adolescents 13-24 prefer watching content about platonic friendships and relationships over stories about sex.
Shows like Netflix's Sex Education and Heartbreak High are primarily focused on romance and physical relationships, and even Heartstopper has a secondary focus on the subject.
But why are producers pushing this content if the data says teens aren't that interested?
Well, to put it simply, sex sells.
Netflix's Sex Education, a series renowned for its racy scenes and X-rated content, amasses 25.4 million viewers, so the dislike of sexual relationships on screen isn't a blanket statement.
Dr. Hazel Collie, a Course Director of Media and Communications at Birmingham City University, said, "I think it is an education, not just for young people but also for older people, to see these types of relationships normalised.
"Sex Education has been quite good for that, as well, presenting a wide range of relationships...showing something you've not been exposed to before."
UCLA's data on this topic is released annually, but this year was the first to show a significant change in attitudes.
In fact, it said, "47.5% of respondents ages 13–24 feel most TV shows and movie plots don’t need sexual content" at all.
"Gen Z is very different, and its outlook on life is different to generations that have come before," Hazel said.
"I think they are much more thoughtful about gender and sexuality and how those things work and are a bit more accepting as well."
A study done by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention found that Gen Z is having less sex overall, which may contribute to the disinterest in seeing such content on screen.
With the 2023 survey showing the first real change in attitudes in recent years, the trend may continue to show a decline in interest, but that data is not yet available.
"I think TV companies will be slow to respond, because for such a long time, sex is what sells, and it's hard to unlearn," Hazel explained.
"They would need to follow this research for a bit longer. Is it a blip? A longer-running trend?"
"[The survey] wasn't a rejection of sexual content, but wanting to see the broad types of relationships, platonic, familial, non-sexual, all these kinds of relationship represented on screen," Hazel said.
"TV companies should think about the central focus of their storytelling because there are so many more interesting stories than just relationships.
"But, I don't know that they will," Hazel concluded.
Photo by David Cajilima on Unsplash
The "epidemic of loneliness" described in UCLA's data may contribute to more diverse relationships shown on screen, often attributed to the isolation that followed COVID-19.
However, there is no guarantee television companies will pick up on this data and change their storylines for adolescent viewers.
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