Gen Zers consume the most content and spend nearly $100 per month on media services

Gen Z consumes more content than any other generation, our research reveals.

Our 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.

We conducted a comprehensive study on media consumption trends and found 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.

Read the full Media Consumption Trend Report here

The cost of media consumption

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.

A closer look at media spend

Breaking down the expenditure 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) then Gen X ($32.30).
When it comes to social media services, Gen Z spend a monthly average of $29.10, millennials $25 and Gen X $15.50.
Gen Z and millennials are the biggest spenders on audio services, $29.40 and $26.70 respectively

The older generations spend the least on subscription purchases compared to younger Americans. Their highest monthly spend is on streaming services ($20.70 for baby boomers, and $16.60 for the Silent Generation).

What is the impact of too much media?

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.

Natasha Thapar-Olmos, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology at Pepperdine University offered her insight and advice,

1

“The first step is to figure out what’s causing the excessive content consumption in the first place. 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.”

2

“Once you have some good ideas about the cause, you can start thinking about making changes in those areas. 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.”

3

“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.”

Talker Research Media Consumption Trend Report

You can access our full 36-page Media Consumption Trend Report here

Survey methodology

This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 representative Americans was conducted by 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).

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:

Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:

Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.