Contrary to what it may seem due to films and series with a high degree of sexual content, new generations want fewer sex scenes on screen. This has been concluded by Teens and Screens, a recent study carried out on young people between 13 and 24 years old by UCLA (via Variety).
The analysis carried out reveals that 51.5% of adolescents belonging to generation Z would like to see more content about friendships or platonic relationships. Likewise, 44.3% of young people believe that “love is overused” and 39% would prefer greater representation of aromantic and asexual characters. For 47.5% of those interviewed, sex is not necessary in the majority of the stories we see in audiovisuals.
In addition, the report includes statements from the singer and actress Olivia Rodrigo to NME, in which she explains why she has not seen The Idol, a controversial bet due to its treatment of sex. “I don’t feel like watching it. I remember coming out of Barbie and thinking, ‘Wow, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a movie starring a woman in a way that’s not sexual or about her pain or her trauma.'”
The testimonies collected in the study developed by UCLA also talk about stereotypes and coincide in asking that the stories stop focusing on sex or romance. A 17-year-old black boy from Georgia says: “I don’t like that every time a male and a female character are together on screen, studios have the need to make them fall in love. There is an absolute lack of platonic relationships in American cinema.”
Another 23-year-old girl of Asian origin denounces another stereotype in the relationships represented on screen: “The guy will be a bastard to the woman, but then she will fall in love with him.”
A cinema and TV that reflect all types of relationships
The co-author of the study, Yalda T. Uhls, stated that, “although it is true that adolescents want less sex on television and in movies, what the survey really shows is that young audiences want more different types of relationships reflected in this medium that you see”.
Uhls, an assistant professor in the UCLA psychology department, also says: “We know that young people are suffering from an epidemic of loneliness and are looking for models in the art they consume. While some storytellers use sex and love as a shortcut for connection between characters, it’s important for Hollywood to recognize that teens want stories that reflect the full spectrum of relationships.”
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2023-10-28 11:07:20
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