Generation Scroll: Gen Z spends a quarter of the day consuming news
Brett Jordan
Through the Speaker
A study of 2,000 Americans representing the country revealed that Gen Z respondents use about seven hours of media and news every day (6.6).
The youngest generation was also the age group that watched 15 hours or more a day.
A comprehensive study on media consumption patterns by Talker Research showed that, on average, Americans consume six hours of news per day – or 42 hours per week. That includes 91 full days each year.
Along with time spent watching, the survey also digs into media consumption figures.
(Image via Talker Research)
Through the Speaker
The data revealed that the average respondent spends $66.60 per month on media, including streaming services, audio equipment, and social media subscriptions – or about $800 per year.
Gen Z was found to spend the most money where this is concerned, racking up a monthly income of $97.70, with millennials not far behind ($91.70).
By comparison, baby boomers spend just $35.60 and Americans in the Silent Generation spend less than $25.
That’s not to say that Americans really enjoy spending a lot of money every month. In fact, 33% of respondents would not continue to subscribe to their favorite streaming service if it raised its price by 10% in the next year.
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Waste of money in media types, we can see different types of spending to streaming (eg Netflix, Hulu, Disney+) social media (Twitch subscriptions, YouTube Premium, etc.) and audio services (Spotify, Apple Music, Audio, etc.).
Millennials spend the most monthly money on streaming ($40), followed closely by Gen Z ($39.20) and Gen X ($32.30).
By comparison, boomers spend just $20.70 per month on this platform, and Silent Gen Americans spend less than $16.60.
Younger, media-savvy generations also spend the most change on social media services and subscriptions, with Gen Z ($29.10), and millennials ($25) leading the charge.
(Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya via Pexels)
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 the least.
Almost half of those surveyed (42%) admit they feel they use media “too much” and 36% say their mood is “often” negatively affected by it who see it on social media.
Gen Z Americans were the least likely to feel that they use media too much, with 66% agreeing with that sentiment.
The average respondent also feels guilty 3.1 times each month because of their media consumption habits.
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“The first step is to find out what is causing the excessive use of content in the first place,” said Natasha Thapar-Olmos, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology at Pepperdine University. “Without understanding the cause, intervention efforts will not work. Try to keep track of when the behavior usually occurs and any patterns of what may precede it.”
“Once you have a good idea of the cause, you can start thinking about making changes in those areas,” continued Thapar-Olmos. “For example, if you find yourself reading grudgingly on weekdays after work but not necessarily on weekends, schedule another activity for weeknights. Have it ready to go before you go to work, like a game, magazine or book.
“One way to feel guilty is to let us know when we have done something that violates certain internal values or values. So, if you feel guilty about wasting time online, accept it and use it to refocus and re-intention. Then, continue. If your guilt is getting in the way of making positive changes, then it may not be helping you anymore.”
See the full process report here.
This random double-blind survey of 2,000 representative Americans was conducted by market research Speaker Research between 24 July and 1 August 2024, whose team members are members of the Market Research Association (MOF) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).
