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

An annual study A study conducted by the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at the University of California, Los Angeles found that more than half of teens surveyed preferred watching stories about friendship rather than romance or sex in entertainment media .

“Nomance”, as it is called, is much more in demand among adolescents than in 2023.

The “Reality Bites: Teens and Screens” investigation was conducted in August 2024 and involved 1,644 participants aged 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 content focused on platonic relationships/friendships” in the shows and movies they watch.

This figure was 51.5% last year.

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

“I think more friendships should be shown. And it’s not because boys and girls are friends
they have to be romantic,” a 12-year-old white female said in this year’s survey.

The study’s second statement was: “I think sex and sexual content are not necessary to the plot of most TV shows and movies.” »

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 teenagers (47.5%) were not interested in watching sex scenes on their screens.

“The romance doesn’t need to be the most important part of the plot,” said a 17-year-old non-binary white person. “Relationships should involve less jealousy and the plot shouldn’t focus so much on the relationship being formed. They’re really not that dramatic.

“It would also be great to see more diverse groups, such as queer people, having 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 or movie characters who lack sexual and/or romantic attraction.

Last year, that figure was 39 percent.

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

It has been carried out every year since 2022.