Most teenagers don’t like romance and sex on TV: new study

Today’s teenagers are not the biggest fans of romance stories in TV shows and movies.

An annual study conducted by the UCLA Center for Scholars and Storytellers found that more than half of teens surveyed prefer to watch stories about friendship rather than romance or sex in entertainment media.

“Nomance”, as it is called, is much more popular among teenagers than in 2023.

The Reality Bites: Teens and Screens survey was conducted in August 2024 and included 1,644 participants ages 10 to 24. People aged 10 to 13 were not asked about sexually explicit content.

63.5% of total teens said they “strongly agree” that they want to see “more platonic relationship/friendship content” in the TV shows and movies they watch.

Last year this figure was 51.5%.

In the 2024 survey, 10.5% said they “strongly disagree” with wanting to watch more friendship stories – up from 15.17% last year. In this year’s poll, 26% said they “neither agree nor disagree,” compared with 33.3% in 2023.

“I think there should be more friendliness. And just because boys and girls are friends doesn’t mean that
they should be romantic,” a 12-year-old white female said in a survey this year.

The second statement in the study was, “I believe that sex and sexual content are unnecessary to the plot of most television shows and films.”

Of the 1,644 participants, 62.4% said they “strongly agree,” 16% said they “strongly disagree,” and 21.6% said they “neither agree nor disagree.”

Meanwhile, in 2023, less than half of teens (47.5%) were not interested in watching sex on their screens.

“Romance doesn’t have to be the main part of the plot,” said a 17-year-old white nonbinary person. “There should be less jealousy in relationships, and the story shouldn’t focus so much on the developing relationship. They’re not really that dramatic.”

“It would also be great to see more diverse groups, such as queer people in romantic relationships,” the teen added. “It’s more realistic to the real world, and I like to see more representation.”

The study also found that 46% of participants said they would like to watch TV shows/movies that lack sexual and/or romantic attraction.

Last year this figure was 39%.

The 2024 Teens and Screens Survey was authored by Research Manager Atlas Burrus, Research Director Dr. Alisha J. Hines, Consultant Stephanie Rivas-Lara, and Center for Scholars and Storytellers CEO and Founder Dr. Yalda T. Uhls.

Held annually from 2022.