Much has been made of the recent success of Obsession and Backrooms, which both came from filmmakers who honed their craft on YouTube. In fact, there’s been a land rush of sorts among agencies, networks and studios to tap into creator talent, both in front of and behind the camera. This year’s annual Teens & Screens survey from the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at UCLA, however, details a more complex geometry for those seeking to turn online followers into popular film and TV content.
When it comes to who should star in their stories, the very-online Gen Alpha and Gen Z have a more nuanced take than the industry might assume: few would cast an influencer (16.8%), while many more would choose an actor they’ve never seen before (40%). Those cohorts cover the years of adolescence and young adulthood up to age 29, including the 18- to 24-year-old demographic most coveted by many advertisers.
Their logic makes sense when one looks at a project like Obsession which, while directed by a YouTuber, featured an actress with a (then) limited online following and only minor TV roles to her name. It might prove less providential for a project like the Fox’s upcoming Baywatch reboot, which is certainly hoping (in part) to turn the online followings of Noah Beck, Brooks Nader and Livvy Dunne into ratings.
Of course, YouTube (72.9%) is the top medium for storytelling among adolescents, according to the study. Surprisingly, however, that’s followed closely by TV (70.3%), movies (70.2%) and video games (68.5%). TikTok stands at 64.2%.
For the third year in a row, seeing a new movie in theaters was the top-ranked choice for a weekend activity, if money and logistics were not constraints. Playing a new video game was second and going to a live music show placed third.
When answering the question, “What specific topics would you like to see in the TV shows and/or movies you watch?” the top three responses in order were “hopeful, uplifting stories with people beating the odds,” “friendships and social groups,” and “people with lives like mine.” Superheroes placed fifth while partying and/or drugs and drinking alcohol came in dead last.
In a change from last year’s results, live-action content regained its top spot as the preferred choice for adolescent and young adult audiences vs. animation (58%-42%). This marked an increase of more than 7% from last year.
“The changing way young people consume stories presents a real opportunity for content creators – if they listen to what Gen Alpha and Gen Z say they really want,” said Yalda T. Uhls, founder and CEO of CSS, senior author of the study and adjunct professor in UCLA’s psychology department. “The gatekeepers have changed and young people themselves are deciding what they want to watch and what they want to see more of in the content they choose. Industry leaders need to ‘tune-in’ to young people themselves as well as the experts who have positive youth development and their well-being in mind. This year’s report clearly illustrates that that is the key to creating quality content that wins over today’s youth.”
This year’s Teens & Screens study surveyed more than 1,500 adolescents (ages 10-24, reflecting the ages of adolescence as defined by the National Academy of Sciences). Support for this research was provided by Roblox, Disney, YouTube, Hopelab, the Nielsen Foundation and Warner Brothers Discovery.
The Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that brings together the academic and creative communities to unlock the power of storytelling and help the next generation thrive and grow. Its primary aim is to support storytellers who are working towards better reflecting the lives of kids, teens, and young adults.
In conjunction with the release of its 2026 report, the Center for Scholars & Storytellers will hold its sixth annual, invitation-only Teens & Screens Summit on October 22 at UCLA.