Hollywood has a Gen Z Problem
When I was a movie executive decades ago, my boss pointed out that there was an untapped audience in the movie industry. Back then, Hollywood executives — primarily older White men — rarely made films for this demographic, but whenever a movie did cater to them, they showed up in droves. That audience was teenagers.
Fast forward to 2024, and Hollywood is still neglecting this demographic, failing to consider how storytelling affects their health and well-being. But today, Gen Z has far more options and has abandoned legacy media en masse. Platforms like YouTube have captured their attention. As Brian Fuhrer, Nielsen’s Senior Vice President of Product Strategy, put it: “[On YouTube] There’s something for every single demographic and every race and ethnicity, all the time.”
The Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS)’s research confirms this. TikTok, Instagram, gaming communities, Discord, Reddit, and more offer Gen Z endless ways to see themselves authentically reflected. Since many Gen Z creators are directly involved in producing this content, the stories resonate with their audience’s lived experiences, translating into active engagement.
Not so with traditional storytellers. Unfortunately, too often, the writers and executives who create content for teens rely on their own memories of adolescence or assume their children (if they have any in that age range) represent today’s youth. The problem? Neither perspective captures the diverse, multicultural, and intersectional identities of today’s young people.
Since launching the Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS), we’ve focused on kids, teens, and young adults. As a developmental psychologist, I understand the profound power of stories — especially in entertainment media — and how they can help young people thrive. We’re here to support storytellers with resources like our Storytelling Toolkits, Teens & Screens research, Teen Snapshots, and our Youth Media Representation program. We collaborate with adolescent experts from around the globe, as well as teens themselves, to ensure storytellers have the best resources to authentically engage with their audience. Our work continues to be cited in places like this week’s LA Times article, showing that we’re making an impact.
The outcome? Gen Z benefits from content that reflects their identities and positively impacts their well-being, while Hollywood finally meets youth where they are, rekindling their interest in the powerful stories only the entertainment industry can deliver.
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Dr. Yalda T. Uhls is the founder and CEO of the Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS) at UCLA. Learn more about her work here.