384. YPulse. Screens, Streams, & Trust.
MaryLeigh Bliss
October 16, 2025
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The ways Gen Z and Millennials watch, engage with, and trust media continue to evolve. YPulse, the leading authority on young consumer behavior, has the data to prove it.
In this episode MaryLeigh Bliss, YPulse’s Chief Content Officer, shares findings from their newest reports on entertainment and news consumption. The insights reveal not just where young people spend their screen time, but how they define “TV,” how they interact with content, and how they perceive the credibility of the news they see online. For brands and media organizations alike, the takeaway is clear: to reach young audiences, think social-first.
Highlights from the conversation:
TV isn’t dead, but cable and broadcast might be. While younger viewers still prefer watching on TV screens, they overwhelmingly consume content through streaming services and YouTube, not cable. Over half of 13–39-year-olds say watching YouTube feels the same as watching TV.
TV glass frees up phone feeds. Second screening is alive and well for young consumers.
YouTube dominates early … and deeply. It’s the top platform for tweens (ages 8–12) and continues to shape Gen Z viewing habits. Many young people not only watch but also create and comment, blurring the line between audience and participant.
Bingeing vs. weekly drops. Most still prefer binge-watching, but college-age viewers are showing renewed interest in weekly releases, drawn to the shared experience of communal viewing.
Movies are now “home events.” Nearly 70% prefer new releases on streaming platforms, citing convenience and comfort—though fandom-fueled theatrical events like Taylor Swift’s concert film suggest a way forward for theater owners.
News comes through social media feeds. Young people are accidentally encountering news on their TikTok and Instagram feeds. When they do search things out social-first news outlets have a slight edge over traditional media social accounts. Traditional news is facing an existential threat. Are news brands ready to partner with a social media creators?
They know they’re in a bubble. Most young consumers admit they only “sometimes trust” what they see, and are aware that algorithms feed them curated perspectives that conform to their perspectives. Despite this most are not actively searching out news or differing perspectives.
YPulse is the leading authority on Millennials and Gen Z: tweens, teens, college students and young adults. They provide strategic insight to companies and organizations via their subscription-based syndicated research content as well as their custom research and consulting services. Staffed with a cross-functional team of researchers, marketers, writers, and technologists, they give their clients a 360-degree view of what it’s like to be a Millennial or Gen Z today.
As Chief Content Officer, MaryLeigh Bliss oversees YPulse’s syndicated products. Her role also involves acting as a culture and youth insights expert, consulting with brands to identify actionable insights, align young consumer strategy, and layer generational and youth knowledge over data findings.
MaryLeigh has worked with a range of brands, including Facebook, Hampton, Bravo, HBO, Target, Best Buy, and Gap, and has been quoted as a youth insights authority by publications including The New York Times, Digiday, Business Insider, and Adweek. She has appeared as a Gen Z and Millennial expert on Bloomberg News, Fortune, and NPR Marketplace, and been a speaker at many off-sites and conferences. MaryLeigh’s interest in youth culture originated from her love of YA literature and pop culture anthropology, and she is continuing her passion for decoding and demystifying the next generations of consumers at YPulse.
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MaryLeigh Bliss
YPulse