Gen Z in US spend more time with music according to recent research from Edison Research which was commissioned by Public Radio Program Directors Association (PRPD) and presented at their 2022 conference.
The Media Habits of Gen Z is based on US survey data from three datasets, including The Infinite Dial (age 12-24), Share of Ear (age 13-24), and Edison Podcast Metrics (age 12-24). Twelve in-depth interviews were conducted in August 2022 to better understand how individuals age 12-24 consume media and what resonates with them. There are approximately 58 million people in the US who make up the digitally native ‘Gen Z’, which represents 20% of the 12+ population.
Key findings from the Media Habits of Gen Z study
- Gen Z see themselves as open minded and accepting. Respondents use words like ‘flexible’ and ‘progressive’ to describe themselves. They talk of living in a world filled with constant change which requires such traits. The Gen Z cohort is more ethnically diverse than any generation before it, with 53% of those age 12-24 in the US identifying with a non-white ethnic group, so they are exposed to a variety of cultures and norms.
- Gen Z carry a heavy mental load, and they are tired. They have experienced COVID, culture wars, and other major historic events at an age where they are developing and learning about the world. Many expressed the need for rest and self-care.
- The smartphone is the centre of Gen Z living. 93% of Gen Z own a smart phone, and Gen Z spend 57% of their daily audio time listening through a mobile phone. The one-on-one interviews yielded such quotes as, “I go to sleep when I get home at eleven. It’s like until I pass out with the phone on my chest, I am on my phone, Google searching, you know, looking at Facebook, looking at videos or anything that I didn’t get a chance to look at early in the day.”
- Gen Z are digital natives and they consume digital audio. Almost everyone (95%) in the online Gen Z online population uses streaming video. Almost one-third (32%) watch live stream video games.
- Gen Z spend more time with music than the overall population. Those age 13-24 in the US spend 3 hours and 43 minutes daily listening to music — an average of 40 minutes more than the rest of the population. Their top genre preferences are Hip Hop/R&B, Top 40, and Alternative Rock.
The full report is freely available and can be downloaded here.
