There’s always talk of who will win the so-called streaming wars, but does that even matter to the next generation?
A new study from entertainment and technology research firm Hub found that instead of watching TV, Gen Z prefers to consume non-premium content and play video games. Unlike their parents, TV is only one of many screen-related activities that people under 25 engage in.
“Gen Z is as at least as passionate about entertainment as their Gen X parents and Boomer grandparents,” Hub Founder Jon Giegengack said. “But they are omnivorous, and TV is just one of a constellation of things competing for their attention. Most important – there’s no reason to think that their attachment to short-form video or gaming are habits they’ll outgrow as they get older.”
Gen Z respondents report spending more time playing video games (22%) and online (21%) than watching TV (17%), while for those over 35, watching TV is the most popular screen-based entertainment activity at 43%.
In addition, the way that the two age groups watch TV is also different. Only 8% of Gen Z consumers watch TV through a cable box, which is the most popular option for older viewers at 31%. Conversely, 30% of Gen Z consumers watch shows and movies on their smartphones, which is the least popular option for those over 35 at just 12%.
As consumers spend more time watching online videos, YouTube has continued to dominate streaming. But in a very short period of time, TikTok has emerged as a must-visit location for Gen Z.
When Gen Z users of both video networks are asked which platform they spend more time on, 54% of them reply TikTok (in fact, 40% said “a lot more time”). And 73% of respondents said they would keep TikTok if they could only use one app. More than half of Gen Z viewers claim that the reason they watch less “normal” TV is that they watch non-premium videos either via social media or from internet-based creators more frequently.
None of this data should come as a surprise, after Millennials (roughly ages 27 to 42), Gen Z is the second generation that was born into the digital age.
In contrast to Millennials, the 13 to 24-year-old Generation Z consumers are accustomed to having information and entertainment at their fingertips and have never known a world without cell phones and social media.
They are also natives of streaming because they are digital natives. TV streaming is just TV to Gen Z, while Generation X (approximately 43-58) is much more likely to associate television with connectivity via cable or satellite.