When it comes to what today’s teens want from their screens, one thing is clear: friendship rules. According to the Center for Scholars & Storytellers’ Teens & Screens 2025 report, nearly 60% of adolescents (ages 14 to 24) say they want to see more stories centered on friendship, and not the kind that inevitably turns romantic. More than half said they’re tired of the “will-they-or-won’t-they” plots and want to see different-gender friends stay platonic.

As one 17-year-old from Arizona put it, “Romance in general feels overdone. But I can hardly think of any shows just about friendships without romance, and there’s a lot of unexplored potential for complexity in platonic relationships too.”

Friendship Comes First (Even in the Age of “Shipping”)

The message from Gen Z and Gen Alpha audie

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