Jim Liebelt Christian Blog and Commentary

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Gen Z Spends Less Time with Written Online Content

*The following is excerpted from an online article posted on MediaPost.

It’s been an article of faith among marketers that video, with its combination of sight, sound and motion, is a more compelling communication form than text, which lacks the ability to plug directly into the reptilian brainstem.

Thus, books and newspapers were on the defensive against radio and TV. Now, it’s all happening again — but this time with the internet.

That’s according to a new report from eMarketer, which found that members of Gen Z, the next generational cohort in line after the much-pursued millennials, is spending significantly less time with text-based publishers.

Instead, Gen Z spends more time with video than their older counterparts — as well as their own previous habits.

The report, based on a survey of 1,173 American internet users 13-34, conducted in March by Fullscreen and Leflein Associates, polled teen and young adults about media habits. It found that among younger teens, short- and long-form videos are gaining at the expense of blogs and publisher sites.

The biggest increase was seen in short-form digital video, with 57% of teens 13-17 saying they’re watching more bite-sized video content than a year ago. Some 35% say they’re watching the same amount.

However, full-length shows and movies, streamed digitally, weren’t far behind. In this age group, 55% of teens say they’re watching more than before, while 35% are watching the same amount.

For comparison, 45% of millennials (18-34) say they’re watching more short-form video, and 44% say they’re watching the same amount. For full-length shows and movies, 50% of millennials say they’re watching more than before, and 39% say the same amount.

Meantime, blogs, publishing sites and apps are in retreat or holding steady at best: 30% of teens 13-17 say they’re spending less time with publisher sites and apps, and 50% say they’re spending the same amount of time.

Also, 40% say they’re spending less time with blogs, while 43% say they’re spending the same amount of time.

Source: MediaPost
https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/303849/gen-z-spends-less-time-with-text.html