Gen Z consumes more content than any other generation, according to recent research.
The study of 2,000 nationally representative Americans revealed that Gen Z respondents consume close to seven hours of media and content every day (6.6).
The youngest generation was also the most likely age group to say they watch 15 hours of content or more per day.
The comprehensive study on media consumption trends by Talker Research showed that, on average, Americans consume six hours of content per day — or 42 hours per week. That adds up to 91 full days every year.
Along with time spent watching, the survey also dug into the finances of media consumption.
The data revealed that the average respondent spends $66.60 every month on media, including streaming services, audio apps, and social media subscriptions — or about $800 per year.
Gen Z was found to spend the most where this is concerned, racking up a monthly bill of $97.70, with millennials not far behind ($91.70).
In comparison, baby boomers spend just $35.60 and Silent Generation Americans don’t even spend $25.
That’s not to say that Americans are necessarily happy to spend this much every month. In fact, 33% of respondents would not continue subscribing to their favorite streaming service if it raised its price by 10% in the next year.
Breaking down spends by types of media, we can see the generational differences in spending on streaming (e.g. Netflix, Hulu, Disney+), social media (Twitch subscriptions, YouTube Premium, etc.) and audio services (Spotify, Apple Music, Audible, etc.).
Millennials spend the highest monthly amount on streaming ($40), followed closely by Gen Z ($39.20) and Gen X ($32.30).
In comparison, boomers spend just $20.70 per month on these platforms, with Silent Gen Americans spending even less ($16.60).
Younger, more media-savvy generations also spend a good chunk of change on social media services and subscriptions, with Gen Z ($29.10), and millennials ($25) leading the charge.
Both Gen Z ($29.4) and millennials ($26.7) also spend the most on audio subscriptions, with baby boomers ($7.4) and Silent Generation Americans ($3.9) spending almost nothing.
Nearly half of those polled (42%) admit they feel like they consume “too much” media and 36% say their mood is “often” negatively affected by something they see on social media.
Gen Z Americans were far away the most likely to feel like they consumed too much media, with 66% agreeing with that sentiment.
The average respondent also feels guilty 3.1 times every month due to their media consumption habits.
“The first step is to figure out what’s causing the excessive content consumption in the first place,” offered Natasha Thapar-Olmos, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology at Pepperdine University. “Without understanding the cause, efforts to intervene will be less effective. Try keeping a log of when the behavior tends to happen and any patterns in what might precede it.”
“Once you have some good ideas about the cause, you can start thinking about making changes in those areas,” continued Thapar-Olmos. “For example, if you find yourself doom-scrolling at the end of weekdays after work but not so much on the weekends, prepare an alternate activity for the weeknights. Have it set up and ready to go before you leave for work, like a puzzle, a magazine, or a book.
“One way guilt can be helpful is to let us know when we’ve done something that violates some internal standard or value. So, if you are feeling guilty about wasting time online, acknowledge it and use it to refocus your values and intentions. Then, move on. If your guilt is getting in the way of making productive changes, then it might not be serving you anymore.”
Check out the full trend report here.
Survey methodology:
This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 representative Americans was conducted by market research Talker Research between July 24 and August 1, 2024, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).
