Live stream is in the mainstream, which has been pushed through by gen z, especially during the recent drags of stay at home orders. Younger generations have been growing up watching Youtube videos in their spare time, so what can we expect! According to Statista, “Nearly 40 percent of parents report that their child owns a smartphone.” What’s even more interesting is a SellCell survey done in 2019 that revealed: “16.1 percent of children in the United States first used a cell phone when they were between three and four years old.”
This generation’s children do not know a world without smartphones and high-speed technology. Information and entertainment are provided by a simple click of a button.
What Does This Mean For The Entertainment Industry?
Generations grow up consuming entertainment differently. For the most recent generation, their video watching habits consist of youtube channels, live streams, and other virtual forms of entertainment. As reported by Rev, “62% of Gen Zers use YouTube daily.” But what does this mean for the production effects of the entertainment industry? The industry is going to have to adapt to the wants of the younger generations. Although films and T.V. shows will remain popular, the production style might need to shift with the trend.
The youtube videos that children are watching are a maximum of 8 min long clips, with 7 out of 10 teenage Gen Zers watching more than three hours of mobile video a day. This means, their attention span is getting shorter and shorter. As these videos are being processed through children’s minds, they are receiving information at an incredible speed. Ultimately, this leads to popularity in live stream videos watched through cell phones, instead of traditionally through television or movie theaters. The advice to production teams is the shorter the video, the more likely audiences will watch the entirety of the message and call to action at the end.
Gen Z’s Virtual Habits
Gen Z’s indifference to the software platforms come with their desensitization to the online virtual world. As long as the current platform is convenient and to the point, the audience is captivated. As time passes, Gen Z is becoming the target audience for media and consumer brands to zero in on.
Honing in on this generation’s habits and trends can help hosts and companies to excel with their promotions. Not only has Youtube become an outlet for watching video streams but also as a way for them to listen to music. A survey done by Forbes revealed, “Almost all survey respondents (94%) cite music as “important.” With the music industry coming in as an important outlet for Gen Z, there are ways to implement that into the future of the entertainment industry.
Just as the public saw the way music was adapted to meet COVID-19 distance requirements, live stream software, like PromoStream, Youtube, Facebook and more can become a popular outlet for younger generations to attend music festivals and concerts in the comfort of their own space.
The Path of The Future
Cable companies are beginning to shift their ideas and traditional forms of entertainment as some are even looking to join the streaming platform giants. In order to keep up with the popular demands, companies will need to begin to cater to Gen Z and their streaming tendencies.
Streaming popularity has not only increased in videos but also in forms of music. According to Civic Science, “Roughly 56% [of Gen Z] listen to free [music streaming] services.” Spotify, Pandora, and Apple Music have shown to be the top three competitors for the public’s use in streaming music. As seen through Civic Science’s statistic, the younger generation is prone to listen to free forms of streaming services than pay for the upgraded service. This can help hosts and companies by taking advantage of the advertisements played periodically through the listening service.
Hop-On The Streaming Wagon
As the world shifts towards a streaming-centered environment, companies can take advantage of the popularity of on-demand video and music. Streaming is here to stay, creating an adjustment period in which cable companies, concerts, and events can begin to shift over to streaming services to display their forms of entertainment. It’s not of matter of if, but when!
In terms of media and entertainment consumption, Generation Z has had everything at the touch of their fingertips. By keeping this streaming trend going, websites, brands, cable companies and more can learn how to better target the growing demographic to keep up with modern consumer trends.