Forget Boomers, Millennials, or Alphabets - It's Your Media Generation That Counts

Generations have traditionally been defined in roughly 15-20-year increments.  While there is some disagreement on post-Baby-Boomer exact start and end years, these are generally accepted time frames for the seven living generations (with their respective born dates in parenthesis):

• The G.I. Generation (1901-1926)
• The Silent Generation (1927-1945)
• Baby Boomers (1946-1964)
• Baby Busters/Generation X (1965-1980)
• Millennials/Generation Y (1981-1995)
• Generation Z (1996-2012)
• Generation Alpha (2013-2025 )

Hallmark of Generations – Shared Experiences

People in the same generation traditionally have similar collective experiences, and as they age, tend to demonstrate similarities in attitudes and how they relate to the world around them – and until about 15 or so years ago, how they related to media as well.

Pre-Generation Z (born 1996-2012), most people obtained access to the same media distribution systems, same channels, same TV shows, and same media devices.  And when they watched specific television series, they did so at the same time (if they were in the same time zone).  This was true both within and across generations.  TV viewing was largely a shared experience.

While there were always early adopters of new technology, people within the same generation tended to get and ultimately use the same stuff.  Just as significant, people in previous generations tended to eventually get them as well.  If you got cable or satellite (which 90% of U.S. TV households eventually did), you received about the same number of channels as everyone else.  If you purchased a VCR (which 90% of U.S. TV households eventually did) or a DVD player (which 80% of households did), you had the same access to time-shifted viewing of the same series and renting/buying the same movies or TV shows as most other people.

This not only made media measurement easier, but it made predicting future media usage easier as well.  If you know that 80-90% of consumers will eventually get something, estimating the eventual impact on viewing patterns is reasonably straightforward.

The Media Landscape Evolves:  From Gradual to Constant Change

Over the past 20 years, the media landscape has been in a constant state of change (some might say chaos).  How people use and relate to media, video, and individual TV shows is largely dependent on the expanding array of media devices and subscription video platforms they can access – which is no longer the same across generations or even among members of the same generation.

Until the early 2000s, the pace of change was relatively slow, enabling cumbersome media measurement conglomerates to trudge along with serviceable audience measurement.  As cohesive groups of people aged, their media habits were similar and largely predictable.

It’s hard to imagine now, but before people meters debuted in 1987, Nielsen’s national television sample was only 1,200 homes, and demographic data was only available 36 weeks of the year.  In a three-network, one-screen, single platform, 15-channel, live-viewing world, this was acceptable.  Gaps in the information could be easily estimated based on the surrounding weeks of data.

Here’s a brief look at how the video media landscape has evolved since then:

• During the late 1980s, VCRs started to become prevalent, eventually being owned by 90% of U.S. TV households. Watching pre-recorded videocassettes became the first major new widespread use of the television set.  This contributed to TV audience declines on Saturday nights (which was now the biggest movie rental night).  As a result, the broadcast networks gave up on original scripted series on the night (once the home to major network hits such as All in the Family, M*A*S*H, Mary Tyler Moore, The Love Boat, and Golden Girls).  The networks subsequently cut back on airing made-for-TV and theatrical movies as well.  Time-shifted viewing, now possible for the first time, was still relatively minor (except for sci-fi series and movies).

• The home VCR became the fastest growing electronic device since television itself, and caused real problems for audience measurement. This was the first chink in Nielsen’s armor, as it had to admit for the first time that it couldn’t measure an element of television viewing.  It was able to capture VCR recording, but playback among individual people remained beyond its scope – so it started ascribing household VCR data to people.

• In 1990, the average home could still only receive 33 channels. Viewing habits remained relatively stable, and aside from VCR usage, there weren’t many major challenges to audience measurement.  As cable television expanded, however, the number of available channels began to rise sharply.  A new phrase, “network erosion,” entered the advertising and media lexicons.

• In the late 1990s, DVRs became a reality, but growth was considerably slower than it had been for VCRs. It would take another decade before DVRs were even in 20 percent of the country, and needed to be addressed in developing television samples for Nielsen’s audience measurement.

• Prior to 2005, changes to the media landscape – what was available to view and how it could be viewed – were gradual. Most people wound up getting the same access to almost everything.  The slow pace of change made predicting consumer television viewing habits relatively simple, and slow-to-change research companies didn’t have to pivot too quickly, nor innovate too often.

• Since then, change has been rapid and constant – from the introduction of Apple’s first video iPod in 2005, to social media led by Facebook and Twitter in 2006, to the first iPhone in 2007, to Netflix and Hulu in 2008/2009, to the first iPad in 2010, to Netflix’s first original scripted streaming hit (House of Cards) in 2013 (there are now more original scripted series on streaming services than all the broadcast networks combined). CBS All Access (now Paramount+) joined the streaming arena in 2017, followed by Disney+ and Apple TV+ in 2019, and HBO Max and Peacock in 2020.  In 2020, only 22% of homes subscribed to four or more streaming services; this rose to 46% just a year later.  Between 2007 and 2015 there were also several generations of digital media devices such as Apple TV (2007), Roku (2008), and Amazon Fire Stick (2014).  In 2022, the average home can receive more than 200 linear TV channels and subscribes to four streaming services.

• Unlike pre-2000, however, everybody isn’t necessarily getting everything anymore. Nearly half of TV households do not have DVRs (despite being available for more than 20 years).  It may never reach two-thirds of the country.  More than 70% of TV households have subscription video on demand (SVOD), up from 45% five years ago.  This could hit 90% in a few years, but the percentage of homes with different combinations of streaming services varies widely (making accurate national audience measurement more complicated than ever).  Multimedia devices and smart TVs are each in more than 70% of TV homes, both up from about 25% five years ago, but a good chunk of the country still doesn’t have any.

• With HBO Max, Disney+, and Netflix all planning lower priced ad-supported tiers, the divide across and within generations between those who receive much of their TV entertainment without commercials and those who get most of their TV shows with ads included, is going to widen – based largely on disposable income.

Re-defining Generations:  Less Cohesion, Narrower Time Frames

When it comes to media usage, broad age groups that make up traditional generations, are no longer as cohesive as they once were.  There is less similarity among members of more recent generations based on what, where, and when they can watch video content.  Just as significant, previous generations are not as quick to use the newest media or technology.  How many eventually do is not as certain as it once was.

Previously cohesive generations are starting to splinter into sub-groups based on media usage dynamics that are significantly more segmented than just a few years ago.  We need to start re-thinking commonly accepted generational labels, not only based on how they use and relate to media, but also their consumer behavior and how they are exposed to and respond to advertising.

The Media Generations

Getting access to something as an adult is quite different from growing up with it.  Most Baby Boomers did not experience substantial change in video media choices or device access until they were adults.  In 1980, when the youngest Boomers were in their 30s, roughly 80 percent of the country did not yet have cable.  In 1985, more than 85 percent of the country did not own a VCR.  Until 1986, there were only three broadcast networks.

The way my 23-year-old son uses and relates to the media landscape is much different from how his 60-something father does.  Rather than growing up in a stable media environment as I did, he has experienced continual change.  He grew up going from flip phones, to blackberries, to smartphones; from no to multiple social media platforms; from VCRs to DVRs to video on demand, to streaming, to Apple TV to streaming sticks; from desktop pc, to laptop, to iPad; from slow internet to high-speed broadband.  In other words, he is from the first generation to grow up constantly navigating new media and platforms, making it easier to adjust to whatever comes next.  My generation expected stability; his expects change and a steady diet of new technology.

Here is how I would break out the media generations (the corresponding standard age-based generations are in parenthesis).  While the first few closely mirror traditional generations, as new technology and media options become more frequent, the number of years making up a media generation narrows.  There are sometimes substantial differences between the first and second half of even the oldest media generations.  There is also some overlap and similarities between the end of one generation and the beginning of the next.

The Pre-TV Generation:  born 1925-1945 (The Silent Generation:  1927-1945)

• Grew up with radio.
• Introduced to television as teens or young adults.
• Most people had one TV per household. Few channels, few choices, no remote control, no end-user technology.
• Families gathered around the console TV set (as they had around the radio).
• Portable small-screen TV was new technology.
• First stop is still tends to be broadcast networks or cable networks that air off-network series.
• They see advertising on television as normal, necessary, and helpful.

 

Major events that affected how they think:

• First half of generation grew up in aftermath of the Great Depression – determined to “save, save, save” so their kids could be better off than they were.
• War generation – first half of generation were teens and young adults during World War II, young adults during Korean conflict; second half of generation were young adults during Vietnam War.
• Teens and young adults during McCarthy Era, start of Cold War, Cuban missile crisis.
• Young adults when JFK, Martin Luther King Jr., and Robert Kennedy were assassinated.

How they relate to the world around them:

• Taught to “be seen and not heard.”
• Clear ideas of right and wrong, good and evil, black hats and white hats.
• Conformity and following the rules were keys to success.
• Hard work, pay your dues, respect for authority. Tended to stay in same jobs for entire career.
• Pre-feminism, traditional nuclear families – most men worked, most women stayed home to raise kids – main jobs for women outside the home were teachers, nurses, and secretaries.
• Institutional racism and anti-semitism.
• People of similar ages tended to be in similar stages of life.
• Avid newspaper readers.
• Musical variety - Big Band, Jazz, Blues, and Swing. Second half of generation introduced to Rock ‘N’ Roll when they were teens or young adults.
• Post WWII prosperity – growth of suburbs, cars as status symbols.

Television was only in 9% of U.S. homes in 1950, 50% in 1954, 90% in 1960.  In 1964 only 3% of homes had color TV, which wouldn’t pass 50% of the U.S. until 1972.  In 1970, only 35% of homes had more than one television set.

In 2022, the Pre-TV Generation is 77-97.

The TV Generation:  born 1946-1969 (Baby Boomers: 1946-1964)

• Global Village – first generation to grow up with television and electronic access to events in opposite ends of the country live as they were happening.
• Grew up with one screen, few choices. Families watched TV together – in early 1970s, All in the Family was the highest rated show on the air among every age group for five straight years.
• Key TV shows they grew up watching (mostly 1^st half in red, mostly 2^nd half in blue):
  • Kids: Howdy Doody (1947-60), Adventures of Superman (1952-58), The Mickey Mouse Club (1955-59), Captain Kangaroo (1955-84), The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle and Friends (1959-64), The Bugs Bunny/Roadrunner Hour (1962-71), Underdog (1964-67), Sesame Street (1969-2015), ABC Afterschool Special (1972-97), Mister Rogers Neighborhood (1968-2001). The Electric Company (1971-77), Fat Albert (1972-85), Super Friends (1973-86).
  • Comedies: I Love Lucy (1951-57), Father Knows Best (1954-60), Leave it to Beaver (1957-63), The Andy Griffith Show (1960-68), The Flintstones (1960-66), The Beverly Hillbillies (1962-71), Bewitched (1964-72), I Dream of Jeannie (1965-70), That Girl (1966-71), The Brady Bunch (1969-74), Mary Tyler Moore (1970-77), All in the Family (1971-79), M*A*S*H (1972-83), Happy Days (1974-84), Good Times (1974-79), The Jeffersons (1975-85), Laverne & Shirley (1976-83), The Love Boat (1976-90), Diff’rent Strokes (1978-85), The Facts of Life (1979-88).
  • Dramas: Wagon Train (1957-65), Have Gun, Will Travel (1957-63), The Untouchables (1959-63), Lassie (1954-73), Gunsmoke (1955-75), Bonanza (1959-73), I Spy (1965-68), Star Trek (1966-69), Batman (1966-68), Julia (1968-71), The Mod Squad (1968-73), Room 222 (1969-74), The Waltons (1972-81), The Six Million Dollar Man (1973-78), Little House on the Prairie (1974-83), Charlie’s Angels (1976-81), CHiPs (1977-83), The Incredible Hulk (1977-82), Fantasy Island (1978-84), Dallas (1978-91).
• Programmer control. Could only watch something when a TV station aired it – kids looked forward to annual showings of The Wizard of Oz.
• Teens or young adults during early years of HBO, MTV, and ad-supported cable.
• Young adults when Fox became the fourth broadcast network.
• Young adults when the home VCR became widely available.
• Remote Control was new technology to first half of generation; VCRs to second half.
• They see advertising as a necessary for “free TV.” Fondly remember the classic commercials of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s

Major events that affected how they think:

• Cold War
  • Kids or teens during Cuban missile crisis
  • Bomb shelters
  • Kids do “duck and cover” drills in school
• Kids, teens, or young adults when JFK, Martin Luther King Jr., and Robert Kennedy were assassinated.
• Moon landing. Faith in government. “We can accomplish anything.”
• Civil Rights – violence against Blacks shown on television cause many to pay attention for the first time.
  • Birmingham Sunday (1963) – white supremacist bombing of Baptist church in Alabama kills four young Black girls.
  • TV news accounts of attacks on peaceful Black demonstrators in the South by police using firehoses and dogs against men, women and children, shock the nation and leads to political action and civil rights legislation.
• Beginning and end of Vietnam War and the draft.
  • The Tet Offensive (1968) brings the brutality of war to American screens for the first time. CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite, “the most trusted man in America,” comes out against the war.
  • Kent State shooting (1970). Ohio national guard kills four students and wounds nine others who are peacefully protesting the U.S.’s expanding involvement in Vietnam war.
  • Bombings in U.S. by anti-war activists, such as The Weather Underground.
• Kids, teens, and young adults have first exposure to international terrorism – 1972 Munich Summer Olympics, Iranian hostage crisis (1979), 1970s airline hijackings.
• Women’s Rights movement in the 1970s.
  • Title IX passes in 1972, prohibiting sex-based discrimination in any school or education program that receives funding from the federal government.
• Kids, teens, or young adults during Watergate. Nixon becomes first President to resign.  Faith in government wanes.
• Young adults when
  • The AIDS epidemic struck.
  • The Cold War ended and Berlin Wall fell.

How they relate to the world around them:

• Post-World War II baby boom and middle class.
• Started the American Youth culture – first generation to have advertisers, media, and entertainment industry market specifically to kids, teens, and twenty-somethings on a widespread basis. They are used to being the center of attention.
• People of a certain age were in similar life-stages – kids of a certain age had parents in a relatively narrow age range.
• Bullying a normal part of growing up. If you’re not good enough you don’t play.  Toughen up.  Boys don’t cry.  Girls don’t play “boy’s sports.”
• Many are first generation in their families to graduate from college.
• Musical variety – Folk, Rock ‘N’ Roll, R&B, Motown, Country, Disco, Heavy Metal, Punk Rock.
  • 1950s – Rock ‘N’ Roll
  • 1960s – British invasion (Beatles on Ed Sullivan); Protest music (Bob Dylan)
  • 1970s – Classic Rock; Disco (Saturday Night Fever); Punk (CBGB)
• From free love, the pill, and sexual revolution in their teens and early 20s to AIDS and safe sex in their late 20s, 30s, or 40s.
• First generation to see retirement as a new beginning rather than nearing the end.

Consumer Behavior:

• Looks for convenience and service.
  • Less likely than subsequent generations to see shopping as relaxing.
  • More disposable income than other generations means convenience more important than searching for bargains.
  • Likes brick-and-mortar because of desire for customer service, but will often research products online before going out to buy. They will purchase certain products online if they are not readily available in-store.
  • Most likely generation to stop shopping at a store or chain if they do not like the customer service or have a bad experience with a salesperson.
  • Less likely than subsequent generations to have purchases influenced by social media or recommendations from friends and family. More likely to be impacted by advertising and reported popularity of specific brands.

Television is in 50% of U.S. homes in 1954, 90% in 1960.  Cable – 12% in 1975, 20% in 1980, 43% in 1985.  In 1970, only one-third of homes only had more than one TV set; by 1980, half of homes had more than one.  In 1985, only 29% of homes had remote control; this rose to 77% by 1990.  VCR penetration in the U.S. was just 1% in 1980, 14% in 1985, and 66% in 1990.

In 2022, the TV Generation is 53-76.

The MTV Generation:  born 1970-1984 (Gen. X: 1965-1980)

• First generation to grow up with remote control, more than three broadcast networks (kids or teens when Fox became the fourth network), and cable (ad-supported and pay).
• Second half of generation was first group to have kids TV programming beyond Saturday Morning and weekday afternoon syndication.
• First generation of kids to grow up with Sesame Street and Mister Rogers.
• Key TV shows they grew up watching (mostly 1^st half in red, mostly second half in blue):
  • Kids: Captain Kangaroo (1955-84), Sesame Street (1969-2015), ABC Afterschool Special (1972-97), Mister Rogers Neighborhood (1968-2001), The Electric Company (1971-77), Fat Albert (1972-85), Super Friends (1973-86), Fraggle Rock (1983-87), Reading Rainbow (1983-2006), Pee Wee Herman Show (1986-90), Saved by the Bell (1989-93), Rugrats (1991-2004), All That (1994-2005), Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990-96), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987-96), Ren & Stimpy (1991-1996), Batman: The Animated Series (1992-95), Barney & Friends (1992-2010), Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers (1993-96), Beavis and Butthead (1993-97).
  • Comedies: Happy Days (1974-84), The Jeffersons (1975-85), Laverne & Shirley (1976-83), The Love Boat (1976-90), Diff’rent Strokes (1978-85), The Facts of Life (1979-88), The Cosby Show (1984-92), Growing Pains (1985-92), Married…With Children (1987-97), A Different World (1987-93), Full House (1987-95), Roseanne (1988-97), The Wonder Years (1988-93), The Simpsons (1989- ), Family Matters (1989-98), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-96), Home Improvement (1991-99), Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper (1992-97), Living Single (1993-98), Friends (1994-2004).
  • Dramas: The Six Million Dollar Man (1973-78), Charlie’s Angels (1976-81), Little House on the Prairie (1974-83), CHiPs (1977-83), The Incredible Hulk (1977-82), Fantasy Island (1978-84), Dallas (1978-91), Fame (1982-87), Knight Rider (1982-86), The A-Team (1983-87), Miami Vice (1984-90), Moonlighting (1985-89), 21 Jump Street (1987-91), Life Goes On (1989-93), Beverly Hills 90210 (1990-2000), Melrose Place (1992-99), The X-Files (1993-2002), Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-97), ER (1994-2009), Party of Five (1994-2000).
• Teens and young adults when MTV launched – first generation to regularly watch their favorite musical groups perform on television.
• First home video game generation:
  • Kids or teens when Nintendo released higher-quality (8-bit graphics) video games – including Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda (1989). Nintendo released the hand-held Game Boy video game device the same year.
  • Sega released its 16-bit Genesis video game console, which included Sonic the Hedgehog (1991). The same year, Nintendo released its 16-bit Super NES console in North America, spurring the first console wars.
  • Sega released Saturn, the first 32-bit console that played games on CD rather than cartridges (1995). Later that year, Sony released its first Playstation.  The following year, Nintendo released its 64-bit cartridge system, Nintendo 64.
• Personal computers, dial-up internet, and VCRs were new technology. Pre-recorded video cassettes, and time-shifted TV viewing were new concepts.
• They see TV advertising as a necessary evil.

Major events that affected how they think:

• Post-Vietnam and Watergate – grew up with less trust in government than previous generations.
• Kids during Iran hostage crisis.
• Kids, teens or young adults during
  • Space shuttle Challenger explosion
  • Fall of Berlin Wall
  • AIDS epidemic (safe-sex generation)
  • Black Monday
  • Rodney King beating and subsequent L.A. riots
• Teens or young adults on 9/11.
• Young adults during the Great Recession.

How they relate to the world around them:

• First generation of kids to have friends’ parents in significantly different life stages.
• Rise of dual-income families, “latch-key kids.” Growth of divorce rates and single-parent households combine to result in kids and teens being more self-reliant and skeptical than previous generations.
• Went from computer-free to computer-savvy.
• Musical variety – Rock, Country, Punk, Grunge, Hip-Hop.
  • 1980s – Punk; New wave
  • Kids, teens, or young adults when Yo MTV Raps debuted
  • 1990s – Gritty, gang-life Hip-Hop/Rap; Grunge
  • 2000s – New, feel-good Hip-Hop
• Sandwich generation – often responsible for simultaneously raising children and caring for aging parents.
• Went from seeing terrorism from afar and relative safety, to seeing it up close and personal.
• Rather than fleeing the nest, many of their kids are coming back home after college.

Consumer Behavior:

• More practical – skeptical about advertising and marketing
  • Tend to thoroughly research products before buying – extensive use of search engines.
  • Influenced by social media and online reviews – less so by hard-sell advertising.
  • This generation is among the heaviest email users, and are the most likely to respond to personalized email offers based on their previous purchases.
  • As with the previous generation, they see in-store quality customer service as important, but are more likely than the previous generation to make online purchases.

Cable is in 56% of U.S. Homes in 1990, 68% in 2000, 85% in 2005.  VCRs – 14% in 1985, 50% in 1988, 66% in 1990, 90% in 2000.  DVRs – 20% in 2008, 38% in 2010.  In 1990, more than one-third of TV homes still had just one television set. 

This is the last cohesive generation, where almost everyone got almost everything.  The VCR was the last universally purchased device for watching video.

In 2022, the MTV Generation is 38-52.

The Multi-Channel Generation:  born 1985-1997 (Millennials/Generation Y: 1981-1995) 

• First generation to grow up with
  • The internet
  • High-quality console and hand-held video games
  • 24-hour cable news – news bias
  • Social media
  • Downloadable music – Spotify, Apple
  • Time-shifted TV viewing
• Original scripted series no longer exclusive to the broadcast networks. Ad-supported cable networks, led by AMC, FX, TNT, and USA, start airing original scripted programming.  Premium cable networks, such as HBO, Showtime, and Starz air scripted shows too edgy for ad-supported TV.
• First generation with no concept of “least objectionable programming.”
• Key TV shows they grew up watching (mostly 1^st half in red, mostly 2^nd half in blue):
  • Kids: Sesame Street (1969-2015), ABC Afterschool Special (1972-97), Mister Rogers Neighborhood (1968-2001), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987-96), Saved by the Bell (1989-93), Are You Afraid of the Dark? (1990-96), Rugrats (1991-2004), Ren & Stimpy (1991-1996), Batman: The Animated Series (1992-95), Barney & Friends (1992-2010), Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers (1993-96), Beavis and Butthead (1993-97), All That (1994-2005), Blue’s Clues (1996-2006), Teletubbies (1997-2001), Rolie Polie Olie (1998-2007), SpongeBob SquarePants (1999- ), Pokemon (1999-2006), Dora the Explorer (2000-19), The Fairly OddParents (2001-17).
  • Comedies: Cosby Show (1984-92), Growing Pains (1985-92), Married…With Children (1987-97), A Different World (1987-93), Full House (1987-95), Roseanne (1988-97), Wonder Years (1988-93), The Simpsons (1989- ), Family Matters (1989-98), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990-96), Home Improvement (1991-99), Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper (1992-97), Living Single (1993-98), Friends (1994-2004), Sabrina the Teenage Witch (1996-2003), King of the Hill (1997-2010), That 70s Show (1998-2006), Family Guy (1999- ), Malcolm in the Middle (2000-06), Girlfriends (2000-08).
  • Dramas: 21 Jump Street (1987-91), Life Goes On (1989-93), Beverly Hills 90210 (1990-2000), Melrose Place (1992-99), The X-Files (1993-2002), Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993-97), ER (1994-2009), Party of Five (1994-2000), Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003), Dawson’s Creek (1998-2003), Felicity (1998-2002), Gilmore Girls (2000-07), Smallville (2001-11), One Tree Hill (2003-12), Supernatural (2005-20), Gossip Girl (2007-12), The Vampire Diaries (2009-17), Glee (2009-15), The Walking Dead (2010- ), Pretty Little Liars (2010-17).
• MTV still influential – premiere of The Real World in 1992.
• Kids and teens during launch and run of WB and UPN (1995-2006). UPN is the first broadcast network providing a voice to a new generation of Black storytellers with TV shows containing largely Black casts.
• Video game expansion
  • Nintendo DS released in 2004
  • Modern age of high-definition gaming begins in 2005-06 with release of Sony’s Playstation 3, Microsoft’s Xbox 360, and Nintendo’s Wii.
• Teens and young adults during rise of social media.
• Young adults during launch of video streaming services.
• DVRs and multi-media devices were new technology.
• First generation where everybody doesn’t get everything.
  • DVRs never rise much above 50% of U.S. Half the country time-shifts much of their TV viewing, half doesn’t.
  • First generation where TV viewing is not as much of a shared experience.
  • Common TV references, a hallmark of previous generations (“There’s a gremlin on the wing,” “Marcia, Marcia, Marcia,” “Meathead,” “What you talkin’ about Willis?”, “Let’s be careful out there,” “Master of my domain”) are no longer universal.
• See TV advertising as intrusive and annoying. Many are used to fast-forwarding through commercials via DVR or streaming commercial-free TV.

Major events that affected how they think:

• Terrorism on U.S. soil
  • Kids or teens during Oklahoma City bombing.
  • Kids, teens, or young adults on 9/11.
• Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Mass shootings (kids or teens during Columbine high-school massacre).
  • Teens or young adults during: Virginia Tech (2007), Fort Hood (2009), Sandy Hook Elementary School (2012), Aurora Theater Colorado (2012), San Bernadino California (2015), Orlando nightclub (2016), Las Vegas concert (2017), Southerland Springs, Texas church (2017), Stoneman Douglas High School (2018), Pittsburgh synagogue (2018), El Paso, Texas Walmart (2019). Buffalo, NY (2022), Uvalde, Texas elementary school (2022), Highland Park, Illinois July 4^th parade (2022).
  • Tightened security at churches, synagogues, and mosques.
  • Schools start having “active shooter” drills.
• Became adults in post-9/11 world, during the war on terrorism, and the Great Recession.
• Young adults during rise of the #MeToo movement when major male celebrities and power brokers have careers derailed by sexual assault and harassment allegations.
• Young adults during COVID 19 pandemic.
• Teens and young adults when Barack Obama is elected President.
• Young adults when Donald Trump is elected President.

How they relate to the world around them:

• More social than previous generations, less concerned about privacy.
• Fathers much more involved in child rearing than previous generations.
• Kids and teens have busier “planned” lives than previous generations.
• Came of age and entered workforce during economic recession – many kids and teens see their parents get laid off.
• First generation expected to make less money than their parents.
• Musical variety – Rock, Country, Hip-Hop, EDM.
  • 1990s – Gritty, gang-life Hip-Hop/Rap; Grunge
  • 2000s – New, feel-good Hip-Hop
• Environmentally aware.
• Equity for girls in school sports.

Consumer Behavior:

• Brick-and-mortar, online, or mobile
  • No preference for shopping in-store versus online – all depends on circumstance of the moment. But are more likely to make the actual purchase when in-store.
  • Pandemic led to more online shopping – particularly for groceries and other necessities. Many use apps for ordering food from restaurants instead of eating out.
  • Less brand-loyal and more willing to browse than previous generations.
  • Use their smartphones for help shopping even when at the store.
  • More likely than older generations to see shopping as a relaxing social event.
  • More influenced by word-of-mouth, social media posts, and consumer-generated content than previous generations.
  • Like interacting with brands and retailers on social media.
  • As with the previous generation, they do not respond well to hard-sell advertising or marketing tactics.

DVRs are in 20% of U.S. homes in 2008, 34% in 2010, 50% in 2015.  Internet at Home – 18% in 1997, 50% in 2001, 75% in 2010.  Broadband – 33% in 2005, 67% in 2015.  Smartphones – 36% in 2011, 76% in 2015.  Facebook – 49% of U.S. population used at least once a month in 2015 (24% used Instagram, 16% used Twitter).  SVOD – 47% in 2014 (16% have 2 or more services), 52% in 2015 (20% have 2 or more), 78% in 2020 (55% have 2 or more).

In 2022, the Multi-Channel Generation is 25-37.

The Multi-Platform Generation:  born 1998-2007 (Generation Z: 1996-2012)

• First generation to grow up with
  • High speed internet and search engines
  • DVRs
  • High-definition gaming (consoles, hand-held, online)
  • Smartphones
  • Social media
  • Video on demand, streaming services
  • Downloadable music
  • Multi-media devices
• First generation to not remember a world without the internet
• Peak TV – used to having multiple programming choices. First generation to grow up binge viewing their favorite TV shows.
• Key TV shows they grew up watching:
  • Kids: Sesame Street (1969-2015), Blue’s Clues (1996-2006), Rolie Polie Olie (1998-2007), SpongeBob SquarePants (1999- ), Bob the Builder (1999-2011), Pokemon (1999-2006), Dora the Explorer (2000-19), The Fairly OddParents (2001-17), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003-07), Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends (2004-09), Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-20), Adventure Time (2010-18), Young Justice (2010- ), Ultimate Spider-Man (2012-17), Avengers Assemble (2013-19), Steven Universe (2013-19), Teen Titans Go! (2013- ), Rick and Morty (2013- ).
  • Comedies: The Simpsons (1989- ), Friends (1994-2004), South Park (1997- ), King of the Hill (1997-2010), That 70s Show (1998-2006), Family Guy (1999- ), Malcolm in the Middle (2000-06), Girlfriends (2000-08),  The Big Bang Theory (2007-19), The Middle (2009-18), Modern Family (2009-2020), The Cleveland Show (2009-13), Bob’s Burgers (2011- ), Black-ish (2014-22), The Conners (2018- ).
  • Dramas: Gilmore Girls (2000-07), Smallville (2001-11), 24 (2001-10), One Tree Hill (2003-12), Supernatural (2005-20), Gossip Girl (2007-12), The Vampire Diaries (2009-17), Glee (2009-15), The Walking Dead (2010- ), Pretty Little Liars (2010-17), Arrow (2012-20), Agents of Shield (2013-20), The Flash (2014- ), The 100 (2014-20), Gotham (2014-19), Empire (2015-20), Supergirl (2015-21), Riverdale (2017-), All American (2018-), Black Lightning (2018-21), Batwoman (2019-), Stargirl (2020- ), Superman & Lois (2021- ), Euphoria (2019- ), Yellowjackets (2021- ).
• Multi-tasking is their normal state.
• Multi-media devices – Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire Stick – and subscription video on demand (SVOD) are new technology

Major events that affected how they think:

• First post-9/11 generation.
  • Feel less secure than previous generations (first generation to need picture IDs in office buildings and airports).
• Kids and teens during Great Recession – many see their parents get laid off.
• Teens and young adults when an unarmed Black man, George Floyd, was killed by a white police officer, with the whole event captured on video. Rise of Black Lives Matter.
• First generation to grow up with mass shootings, active shooter drills.
• Teens and young adults during COVID-19 pandemic – makes them uncertain about the future.
• Teens and young adults during January 6, 2020 insurrection.
• Less likely than older generations to think the United States is superior to other countries.
• Donald Trump elected President before most of them can vote.

How they relate to the world around them:

• Early-age use of computers, apps, and web-based learning results in leaving behind traditional toys at an earlier age than previous generations. This also enables them to process information faster than previous generations.
• Social media and texting are major forms of communicating and socializing.
• When in doubt they fact check (mostly through Google or YouTube).
• More individualist and technology dependent than previous generations.
• Less likely to trust government authorities than previous generations.
• Major issues include climate change and social justice.
• LBGTQ+ rights and marriage equality are seen as normal.
• First generation where large segment favors restricting offensive speech.
• This generation is among the first not to see the “billionaire class” as aspirational.
• More likely to have at least one college educated parent than previous generations, and more likely to attend college themselves.
• Tend to enter the workforce later than previous generations. Many of this generation will start their careers working remotely.

Consumer Behavior:

• Digital natives
  • Use all available online resources to compare prices and product ratings.
  • Although most of their research is conducted online, they still see in-store shopping as an enjoyable social activity.
  • Pandemic caused many to exclusively make purchases online and through apps.
  • Like the instant gratification of shopping in-store more than waiting for online purchases to arrive. They like to order online and pick up the product in-store.
  • More likely to buy bigger ticket items only when they are on sale – or even waiting for newer products that might be available soon.
  • Less likely than previous few generations to use email or respond favorable to email marketing pitches.
  • Influenced by word-of-mouth, social media, and consumer-generated content.
  • Purchase decisions affected by a brand’s stance on issues they deem important.
  • More likely than previous generations to give online product reviews.

U.S. penetration:  DVRs – 20% in 2008, 34% in 2010, 52% in 2020.  SVOD – 52% in 2015 (20% have 2 or more), 78% in 2020 (55% have 2 or more).  Internet at Home – 18% in 1997, 50% in 2001, 75% in 2010.  Broadband – 33% in 2005, 67% in 2015, 80% in 2020.  Smartphones – 36% in 2011, 76% in 2015, 93% in 2020.  Smart TV – 52% in 2020, 76% in 2022.  Internet Connected Device – 42% in 2020.  Share of internet users: Facebook – 54% in 2010, 67% in 2020; Twitter – 8% in 2010, 22% in 2020; Instagram – 38% in 2020.

In 2022, the Multi-Platform Generation is 15-24.

The Mobile Generation:  born 2008-  (Generation Z: 1996-2012; Generation Alpha: 2013- )

• The first generation to be entirely born in the 21^st
• Screens are placed in front of them at a younger age than older generations, having a much greater impact on their formative years.
  • Positively impact on digital literacy and the ability to learn on one’s own, but may impair social development and lead to shorter attention spans (although since the advent of television itself, particularly when MTV debuted, virtually everything new has been thought to shorten attention spans).
  • Heavy users of social media, but not necessarily the same ones as their parents.
  • A generation of digital natives with no memory of a world before smartphones and search engines.
• TV/video is everywhere – this generation makes little distinction between broadcast, cable, YouTube, or SVOD. Content means everything, distribution source or screen means little.
• Growing up watching what they want, when they want, where they want. Big screens and portable small screens are interchangeable.
• Key TV shows they grew up watching:
  • Kids: Sesame Street (1969-2015), SpongeBob SquarePants (1999- ), Dora the Explorer (2000-19), The Fairly OddParents (2001-17), Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008-20), Adventure Time (2010-18), Young Justice (2010- ), Ultimate Spider-Man (2012-17), Avengers Assemble (2013-19), Steven Universe (2013-19), Teen Titans Go! (2013- ), Rick and Morty (2013- ).
  • Comedies: The Simpsons (1989- ), The Big Bang Theory (2007-19), The Middle (2009-18), Modern Family (2009-2020), Bob’s Burgers (2011- ), Black-ish (2014-22), The Conners (2018- ).
  • Dramas: Supernatural (2005-20), The Vampire Diaries (2009-17), Glee (2009-15), The Walking Dead (2010- ), Pretty Little Liars (2010-17), Arrow (2012-20), Agents of Shield (2013-20), The Flash (2014- ), The 100 (2014-20), Gotham (2014-19), Empire (2015-20), Supergirl (2015-21), Riverdale (2017- ), All American (2018- ), Black Lightning (2018-21), Batwoman (2019- ), Stargirl (2020- ), Superman & Lois (2021- ), Euphoria (2019- ), Yellowjackets (2021- ). 

Major events that affected how they think:

• Post-9/11 generation.
• Kids and teens during COVID-19 pandemic. Many see family members either get sick, lose jobs, or take pay cuts.
• Mass shootings and active shooter drills are normalized.
• Kids and teens when Russia invades Ukraine.
• First generation in 40 years to see rampant inflation.
• First generation to come of age without constitutional right to privacy and abortion.
• Kids and teens during January 6, 2020 insurrection.

How they relate to the world around them:

• Unknown how global pandemic, wearing masks, isolating, and remote learning/interaction with peers will affect them long-term.
• More racially and ethnically diverse than any generation in the U.S. The first generation where the majority of children born in this country will be non-white.
• More likely to attend college (although elite colleges will be less important to them and their parents than previous generations).
• More likely to grow up in single-parent households than any previous generation.
• More likely to be only children than previous generations. This probably means they are more likely to grow up expecting instant gratification.
• This generation will start their working lives later and live at home with their parents longer than previous generations.

What will affect this generation most, and how they will relate to media or to the world around them is not really knowable right now.  Anytime you try to predict what will happen 5 or 10 years down the road, you are constricted by current technology and historical perspective.  New technology and innovation, as well as consumer trends and attitudes, are perpetually around the corner.  When they appear, they fundamentally change current thinking, making predictions of yesterday obsolete.  The rapid and constant change to the video environment we’ve seen over the past 20 years may finally be slowing, which could extend the time frame of this media generation.   

In 2022, the Mobile Generation is under 15.

Less Cohesion Within and Across Generations: Impact and Implications

The last two generations (Multi-Platform and Mobile) are the first to gain access to new technology that will not be fully embraced by previous generations (as already mentioned, the VCR was the last universally utilized video usage device).  They are also the first generations to have substantially different media access and usage patterns among cohorts within their own generation.  This will undoubtedly be true of subsequent generations as well.

Slightly more than half of TV homes have DVRs.  Television is a fundamentally different medium for DVR owners than for those without, even if both groups are watching live TV (because of the pause and fast-forward features).  The half of the population with DVRs have substantially different television viewing habits and exposure to commercials than the half who do not have DVRs.  The same is true for those with and without SVOD, as well as those who subscribe to just one or two or various combinations of Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Prime Video, HBO Max, Paramount+, Peacock, Apple TV+, and any of the more niche streaming services.

After more than 30 years of relative stability, the video media world is in a state of constant flux.  Broad age groupings such as Adults 18-49 and 25-54 are no longer meaningful.  Adults 18-49 with DVRs and SVOD, for example, are substantially different from Adults 18-49 with neither (or either).  Viewing behavior among Adults 25-54 who subscribe to four SVOD services are substantially different from Adults 25-54 who subscribe to just one or two.  Are current sampling methodologies used by television/video measurement research companies still capable of projecting to the total U.S., or are formerly similar demographic cohorts now so different that the whole concept of how to develop a sample and whether any single source can measure the totality of video viewing, need to be re-evaluated?

Previous standard generations (such as Baby Boomers and Generation X) are not as cohesive in terms of media availability and usage as they once were.  Subsequent generations are and will continue to be even less cohesive.  It is more important than ever to reassess how groups of consumers are evaluated, based on media dynamics.