For Gen Z, a New Hollywood Term: 'Nomance'

Gen Z would like Hollywood to stop forcing them to awkwardly sit through sex scenes. At least that's what a new study out of UCLA suggests. Per Variety, data from the Center for Scholars and Storytellers' latest Teens and Screens report says over half of the 1,500 respondents between the ages of 13 and 24 wanted to see more media about friendship and platonic relationships. A good chunk (almost 48%) believed sex was not necessary to most plotlines, and 44% thought romance in media was "overused." Along with longing for more platonic love on screen, 39% of teens wished to see more aromantic or asexual characters represented.

"I don't like [that] every time a male and female character are together on screen, studios feel the need to make them fall [in] love," said one respondent. "There's a complete lack of platonic relationships in American cinema." The researchers are calling it "nomance," USA Today reports, a desire to see experiences reflected on the screen without a romantic plotline. "Our findings demonstrate the variety of qualities adolescents are looking for in storytelling: from more authentic storylines that reflect their lived experiences to a more diverse spectrum of relationships, young people are letting it be known what it is that they want," says Yalda T. Uhls, a co-author of the study.

Sex scenes aren't the only thing younger generations are finding cringe. They wish to move on from stereotypical relationships tropes, and toxic, heteronormative storylines. "While it's true that adolescents want less sex on TV and in movies," Uhls says, "what the survey is really saying is that they want more and different kinds of relationships reflected in the media they watch." Uhls characterizes the younger generation as in an "epidemic of loneliness," and believes shortcuts to character development through romance just doesn't cut it for them. "It's important for Hollywood to recognize that adolescents want stories that reflect the full spectrum of relationships." (Some of Hollywood's worst decisions, ranked).