Authenticity Over Everything: What Gen Z Really Wants from Media

Over the last 5 years, I’ve noticed a drastic change in the type of content I’ve consumed. My late nights were once spent wrapped in an enthralling novel or engaged in hours-long episodes of seasons-long TV. Yet with each step into the so-called “future of AI,” my attention span seems to have fragmented. Thoughtful immersion into layered storytelling has been replaced by a careless obligation to rapid-fire bites of hyper-stimulating social media content.

There’s a simple theory that explains this. In our fast-paced, limited lives, every moment is precious. We spend so much of our day toiling away at tiresome jobs with brain-melting work. What free time we have we spend with loved ones, and in our sparse moments of rest, we crave easy escapism that validates our existence. Additionally, the constant bombardment of information from seemingly infinite channels, makes it impossible to prioritize any singular ‘genre’ of content. This leads to the prevailing sentiment that people simply are less willing to commit to longform, traditional media.

Nonetheless, I don’t believe Gen Z has abandoned traditional media altogether. A Deloitte survey found that of the seven hours Gen Z consumers spend on entertainment per day, a majority two hours are spent on TV and movies. Even so, the dominant trends clearly favor social media content. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts have adapted, stretching their short form video lengths up to 10-minutes, and leveraging their increasing audience for more advertising opportunities as longer videos receive more engagement. EMarketer suggests digital video’s share of total time spent on entertainment will rise to 61.3% for all consumers in 2026, with an all-time 38.7% low for TV produced content.

Traditional media is also becoming less and less accessible from a financial standpoint. In another Deloitte survey, consumers with streaming service (SVOD) subscriptions stated that costs went up by 13% in the last year. Gen Z and millennials have 5 paid SVOD subscriptions on average, noticing a 20% increase in price. 39% of Gen Z have canceled at least one streaming service due to burgeoning costs. With relatable content readily available on social media platforms, the rising costs of SVOD seem to outweigh their perceived value for Gen Z.

Source: Adweek

As part of the first generation to grow up entirely online, I have constant access to infinite streams of information. While being flooded with content, the instinct to filter credible sources is a second skin. I believe that Gen Z's collective desperation for trustworthy scrolling has cemented two core tenets: authenticity and transparency. Social media aptly fills this need. Unlike traditional media’s scripted nature, social media is perceived as candid and vulnerable. Its appeal lies in the illusion of authenticity—content created by every-day people with seemingly clear motives. The resulting parasocial relationships simulate an intimate and unfiltered experience.

Influencers appear more relatable than the panel of obscured Disney execs outwardly plying their audiences with explicit ad placements. 52% of Gen Z align with the statement that they feel a stronger personal connection to social media creators as opposed to TV personalities (Deloitte, 2025). The bottom line is that both parties are hungry for advertiser dollars. Nonetheless, the façade remains because Gen Z cares about the transparency behind their content, and where their media comes from.

Though SVOD has finally become reliably profitable, advertisers are also moving towards social media as they notice comparably more engagement; 63% of Gen Z say that ads are more influential on social media as opposed to SVOD (Deloitte, 2025). To remain competitive, studios must engage with social media driven marketing and the creator economy. Influencers undeniably drive awareness and relevance with Gen Z audiences, surging cultural momentum.

AI now plays a critical, if double-edged, role in this evolving media landscape. In traditional media, AI is currently being used to reduce production costs—automating scripts, CGI, even actor likenesses. But let’s be honest: this isn’t about making art more accessible in a highly disparate financial economy. It’s about increasing profit margins. Studios won’t lower prices. Instead, they’ll pump out more content with less investment, even as their audiences continue to diminish.

Source: Stanford E-Lab x USC Art.Ificial survey

Studios should leverage the creator economy’s allure to promote studio output, especially with user generated content. UGC is incredibly cost effective while still retaining trust and relatability. AI-generated social content can also serve as marketing for traditional media; it’s highly scalable and optimized for high visibility, targeting different audiences based on data. The combination of these two facilitates the “authentic” discourse Gen Z prefers to engage with, while meeting the demands of a fragmented attention economy. In this way, studios can foster engagement that feels personal and gains audience traction, without sacrificing perceived authenticity.

Source: Stanford E-Lab x USC Art.Ificial survey

Gen Z media habits are also a direct result of how intertwined their values and lived experiences are. Gen Zer’s are more likely to enroll in college than their millennial counterparts. Characterized by their independent-thinking, Gen Z is more conscientious of their societal responsibility and impact. They are more politically progressive—even among conservatives. A 2023 OliverWyman report found that Gen Z were 92% more likely than previous generations to engage in public protests and are 68% more likely to engage with political issues through social media than any other generation. The “put your money where your mouth is” adage is more alive with Gen Z than any other, as seen through Gen Z’s emphasis on buying second hand and sourcing ethical, sustainable fashion.

This value-driven approach extends to the kinds of stories Gen Z seeks out. More than just authenticity and relatability, Gen Z craves diversity of thought and voices—content that challenges dominant narratives and reflects a multiplicity of perspectives. In a media landscape historically dominated by monolithic viewpoints, Gen Z actively gravitates toward creators and platforms that embrace nuance and variety. In contrast, traditional media often lags, constrained by corporate risk-aversion.

AI can assist this shift—not by replacing human creativity, but by democratizing who gets to participate in it. AI-powered tools are making artistic expression more accessible, allowing a wider range of voices to share their stories. Nonetheless, using AI results in an overflow of homogenized content. I believe there is an important distinction between creativity and the ability to create—creativity is original, unique from person to person, an expression and ability to dissect and rearrange a core thesis in the spirit of innovation. The discovery and struggle that an artist embarks on to make sense of their internality through their work, is indicative of creativity’s ethos. There are no new ‘ideas’ in the world, yet creativity suggests a novel execution, something AI can never replicate. 65.1% of Gen Z aligned with the statement that they would care if a show or film was completely AI generated, as long as it’s good. But what translates as good? A piece of media’s indiscernibility from a human creation? Its emotional connectivity or the communities it facilitates?

According to the Stanford Entertainment Lab’s 2025 survey, Gen Z’s thoughts are quite fragmented on AI’s participation in creation. One survey participant wrote, “I think the value of art is the humans behind it, and therefore GenAI art is artistically pointless.” Another said the best-case scenario for AI is when, “it is unnoticeable from human-produced content.” However, Gen Z is more accepting of AI as a tool in the creative process; 71.2% of Gen Z respondents said they would prefer to generate ideas themselves and use AI to bring them to life, rather than rely on AI to generate the concepts for them.

​​AI tools can offer feedback on writing, as an objective collaborator. “It’s like asking a trusted adult for their advice on an essay,” another Gen Z participant wrote.

From a consumer perspective, the advent of AI and the changing media landscapes illustrates an interesting point; there is a greater prestige associated with the people behind the narrative and the values that the media exemplifies. Gen Z cares—deeply—about politics, the planet, mental health, and justice. We care about where our content comes from. We care about what it says, and who it serves. And in that sense, it doesn’t matter how good generative AI becomes. Gen Z will continue to spend time and money on media that aligns with their values. Meanwhile, creators who build community on the currency of authenticity, will continue to thrive. Authenticity is our compass, and we navigate a fragmented media landscape by seeking creators and platforms that align with our lived experiences and ideals.