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Gen Z are Dual Screening—and Actually Paying Attention

Gen Z are watching multiple screens at once, but they say they’re still focused on the content…

Written and Edited by the YPulse Editorial Team

Sep 6 2023
North America

KEY TAKEAWAYS

While most young people still watch one piece of content at a time, the number who are watching multiple screens is not far behind
Nearly seven in ten Gen Z say they’re scrolling through social media while watching TV, but Millennials are surprisingly more likely to do so
But over half of Gen Z say watching multiple videos at once holds their attention—showing dual screening works for their focus

YPulse’s Attention Economy trend report found that amongst all forms of media (visual, audio, and text included), social media platforms hold Gen Z and Millennials’ attention the most. And although young people say their attention span fades faster on social media compared to areas of life like school and work, it’s still where they’re focusing their media consumption, above TV & movie streaming platforms, mobile games, and audio streaming platforms. However, our data finds watching these different kinds of content are no longer exclusive from one another: young people often have their eyes on multiple screens—and they’re more focused than...