Young audiences are embracing a broad range of storytelling formats while seeking characters who more closely reflect their experiences. The 2026 Teens and Screens report, conducted by the Center for Scholars & Storytellers at the University of California, Los Angeles, examines the media habits of more than 1,500 Americans aged 10 to 24.
YouTube led respondents' storytelling preferences at 72.9%, while almost four in five recognised short-form videos as a means of telling stories. Television, films and video games also attracted strong support. Cinema-going remained their favourite weekend activity for the third consecutive year.
That enthusiasm has parallels in Europe: according to the Cinema Advertising Association, half of UK cinemagoers are under 35. Meanwhile, CineEurope reports that 47% of young people discover films through TikTok, illustrating the connection between online discovery and film audiences.
Respondents also sought hopeful narratives, friendships and characters with lives resembling their own. Some 55% wanted more neurodivergent characters—people whose brains function differently from what is considered typical, including autistic people—but only 22.7% considered existing portrayals generally authentic. Demand for greater representation was higher among LGBTQIA+ respondents.
Attitudes towards artificial intelligence were divided, though curiosity outweighed apprehension overall. While 28.2% described themselves as fascinated and 25.6% as excited, 22% felt doomed and 10.1% scared. The youngest participants, aged 10 to 13, were the most positive, with 44.2% describing programmes about AI as fascinating.
