403. YPulse. Tweens & Screens.
March 19, 2026
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In this episode, MaryLeigh Bliss, chief content officer at YPulse, discusses findings from a 2025 survey of 1,500 North American tweens (ages 8 to 12) on their media and entertainment habits. The data paints a picture of a generation raised on YouTube, streaming, and short-form video simultaneously — and the patterns they're forming now will shape media consumption for the next two decades.
Key ideas explored in this conversation:
YouTube as its own category: 66% of tweens prefer YouTube over streaming services, and tweens don't classify YouTube as social media. YPulse has started isolating YouTube as a separate response option in its older surveys because grouping it with social platforms skews the data.
Family viewing is alive: 70% of tweens report a weekly family movie night, and much of their YouTube watching happens on TV screens with parents present. Favorite content is often linked to co-viewing with a parent.
Short-form feeds long-form: Tweens prefer short videos when forced to choose, but they also binge series on streaming platforms. Clips, fan edits, and micro-series breadcrumb younger viewers into longer content.
Mr. Beast's formula: Humor, gaming roots, challenge formats, and a charitable rather than mean-spirited tone explain his dominance among 8-to-12-year-olds.
Representation matters: 87% of tweens want shows featuring people from different races, abilities, and identities — a figure that exceeds the 56% who specifically want to see more people who look like them.
Content recall favors YouTube: Tweens self-report remembering YouTube content at higher rates than streaming or traditional TV, with implications for brand placement strategy.
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