WHAT YOU WATCH ON TV, COMPUTER, OR SOCIAL MEDIA HAS A LOT TO SAY ABOUT YOUR AGE AND WHO YOU ARE.

WHAT YOU WATCH ON TV, COMPUTER, OR SOCIAL MEDIA HAS A LOT TO SAY ABOUT YOUR AGE AND WHO YOU ARE.

Barna Research Group brings us this interesting report -- the result of a nationwide online study conducted February 3 to February 11, 2015. The survey included 1,000 adults 18 and older.

There are notable differences when it comes to watching news and sports: Elders are more likely than younger generations to report regularly viewing these genres. Also significant are the differences between practicing Christians (who attended at least one church service during the past month and say their faith is very important in their lives), non-practicing Christians (who self-identify as Christian but do not qualify as “practicing”) and those of other faiths or none. According to the new research, each of the four adult generations reports a TV top-three list unique to their content and delivery preferences. 

 

For example, the top shows watched by Elders (Americans 69 years and older) are all dramas aired on one of the “Big Four” television networks: ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox. Forty-four percent of Elders report watching NCIS (CBS), one-third say they watch Person of Interest (CBS, 33%) or Criminal Minds (CBS, 33%), and about one-quarter regularly watch Castle (ABC, 23%).

By contrast, Millennials (ages 18 to 30) watch a combination of comedies, dramas and “dramedies” that air on network, cable or Internet streaming services. One in four young adults say they watch The Big Bang Theory (CBS, 25%), and one in five watch Criminal Minds (21%), The Walking Dead (AMC, 21%) or Orange Is the New Black (Netflix, 20%).

Gen-Xers (ages 31 to 49) share with Millennials an affinity for The Big Bang Theory (26%) and The Walking Dead (25%), while Boomers (ages 50 to 68) split their loyalties between the younger generations’ preference for Big Bang (34%) and the Elders’ favorite, NCIS (36%).

What do they all have in common? At least one in five adults among every age group watches Criminal Minds, the police procedural that follows an elite squad of FBI specialists who profile the country’s most disturbing criminals. One-third of Elders (33%), one in four Boomers (24%), and one in five Gen-Xers (19%) and Millennials (20%) report regularly watching Criminal Minds.

There is also measurable disparity in the amount of time each generation reports spending in front of the TV (or viewing TV programming on another screen). While a majority among all ages says they turn on the TV seven days a week (Elders 93%, Boomers 83%, Gen-Xers 69%, Millennials 52%), young adults are far more likely than older Americans to say they don’t turn it on at all.

Older Americans’ preference for traditional media extends beyond entertainment to information acquisition, as well. Twice as many Elders (41%) as Gen-Xers (21%) and Millennials (20%) say they turn to network television at least a few times a day to get new information. The proportions are reversed when it comes to getting new information via digital tech:

• Millennials (40%) and Gen-Xers (42%) are twice as likely as Elders (22%) to say they use websites at least a few times a day to get new information.
• Millennials (36%) are three times as likely as Elders (12%) to use social media at least a few times a day to stay informed.
• Millennials (49%) are nearly four times as likely as Elders (13%) to use a mobile or smart phone to access new information.

For charts, details, and the rest of the story, go to The Barna Group Website, May 20, 2015: https://www.barna.org/barna-update/media-watch/720-network-cable-streaming-what-americans-are-watching-in-2015