Teens and Screens 2026: YouTube tops storytelling, AI worries grow with age

The Center for Scholars and Storytellers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) released its fifth annual Teens and Screens report in the week of October 23, 2026. The nationwide US survey of about 1,500 young people aged 10 to 24 found that YouTube is the medium they most often say can tell a story, ahead of TV shows and films, and that feelings about artificial intelligence (AI) turn darker with age: among respondents aged 19 and older, "doom" was the most common reaction to stories involving AI.

The findings come from the United States, but they describe habits shared by young people in many countries, including India, where YouTube and short-video apps are a daily part of student life. The headline result is that young audiences no longer treat YouTube as a lesser screen. When nearly three in four say a YouTube video can tell a story, and almost four in five say the same of short-form clips, the line between "content" and "cinema" is fading for this generation.

The report also complicates the idea that young people simply want to watch influencers. Asked whom they would cast in a story, respondents picked new faces and established actors at similar rates, and fewer than one in five chose an influencer. Together with the finding that a trip to the cinema remains the top choice for a free weekend, it suggests that young viewers value a good story told well, whatever the platform, more than celebrity reach. For young creators, that is a useful signal: storytelling skill may matter more than follower counts.

The AI results are the most striking. The youngest group, aged 10 to 13, was mostly curious and fascinated. By 19 and older, doom had become the leading reaction. The survey does not explain why, but the older group is the one entering college and the job market at a time when AI tools are changing study and work. The report also found that about 55% of respondents want more neurodivergent characters on screen, while only 22.7% think current portrayals usually match real life. What to do next: if you make videos or stories online, notice that your audience is asking for real, specific stories over polish and star power, and think about where you stand on AI tools, using them openly and carefully rather than avoiding the question.

Short-term: Studios, streaming services and creators who use the Teens and Screens data to plan content for young audiences now have fresh evidence that YouTube and short-form video sit alongside TV and film, and that heavy AI use in stories may put off older teens and young adults.

Long-term: If the age pattern holds, today's curious 10-year-olds may become more doubtful about AI as they grow up, as the current 19-to-24 group appears to have done. That could shape how the next generation accepts AI-made films, music and games, and how openly companies label AI use.

Who is affected: Young viewers and creators aged 10 to 24, the studios and platforms that try to reach them, and parents and teachers who want to understand how young people relate to screens and to AI.

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