420. YPulse. Gaming is Tween Culture.
July 16, 2026
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In this episode, Gabriella Mirabelli talks with MaryLeigh Bliss, chief content officer at YPulse, about new research on how tweens relate to gaming. The conversation moves past screen time into what gaming means as identity, culture, and commerce for 8- to 12-year-olds in North America.
Bliss argues that gaming functions today the way television once did for earlier generations: a shared reference point that most kids have in common. Unlike social media, where personalized feeds fracture the audience, worlds like Roblox, Minecraft, and Fortnite give players a common starting point, even as everyone moves through them differently.
Ideas covered in the conversation:
Why calling yourself a gamer carries different weight for boys and girls, even when both play daily
How endless, ever-updating game worlds train kids to expect constant novelty from every brand experience
Why co-playing is becoming what co-viewing once was for family media time
How early purchases of virtual goods build brand loyalty that carries into adulthood
Why gaming may be one of the few mass media spaces left that isn't shaped by an algorithm
Mirabelli and Bliss close on a thought that reframes the whole conversation: for marketers trying to reach a younger audience, gaming isn't a niche channel next to social media. It may be the last real mass media left.
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