GENERATIONAL TVide
I just dropped a report comparing the TV and Social Media habits of various generations living in the US, with my analysis of data from GWI, Pew Research Center, Publishers Clearing House (PCH) Media, Comscore, Inc. & Nielsen.
First, context: When you look at breakdowns for Media consumption, you must understand that the differences are not just demographic, they’re?generational.?It’s also crucial to know that (get this) Generations AGE. Older Millennials are now 43. The eldest Gen Zers are 26.
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As generations age, younger consumers WILL bring Media habits with which they grew up ALONG WITH THEM.?Watching traditional TV is not like drinking coffee. Despite wishes of TV execs, today’s 16 year old isn’t gonna suddenly “get a taste for it” when they turn 35.
With that all said, some key findings from the report:
- In EVERY single age group, MORE PEOPLE WATCH AT LEAST THREE HOURS OF TRADITIONAL TV EVERYDAY THAN WATCH 3 HRS+ OF STREAMING.
- In EVERY demo (young AND old) MORE people say they NEVER STREAM than say they never watch traditional TV.
- Opposite ends of the generational spectrum get their news from completely different sources. Older demos rely almost entirely on mainstream Media and younger consumers consume far more news on Social Media. However, just AS MANY people aged 30-49 get their news from Social Media as from traditional sources.
- The younger the demographic, the less TV they watch: Both traditional?AND Streaming.
- However, there is a notable drop off in TV viewing among Generation Z - the ONLY age group where fewer than half say they watch at least 3hrs of?ANY KIND of TV?daily. ??
- One third of adults 18-34 spend?AT LEAST?3 hours on Social Media daily. Nearly half of adults 18-29 get their news from Social Media, while less than half watch ANY TV daily.
A good deal of our talk about TV assumes things about television that the data doesn't support. The assumption that most TV is streamed is wrong. Traditional television is still?the preferred daily use-case - with ALL ages. The assumption that people of all ages will KEEP watching TV is ALSO misguided.
While younger demos watch & stream TV, they watch a LOT less than their elders & spend FAR MORE time on #SocialMedia. Media is not beer. Gen Z & Gen A are not going to wake up one day, turn on the TV, and log off Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
Traditional television is?not?dead. It is still?the preferred daily use-case, especially with Gen X & Boomers. Additionally, there IS substantial evidence that Millennials and Gen Z appreciate the regularity of habitual linear TV.
However, those who run TV need to?TRANSFORM?it?to mirror the habits of its youngest audiences: Leaning into social platforms for distribution, employing Creators, and implementing the radical personalization that younger audiences now demand and expect from?ALL Media.
Get all the data, and read the full report, online, here: https://lnkd.in/e9M_3f2z
#streaming #television