43% of Gen Z Prefer YouTube and TikTok to Traditional TV and Streaming; New ‘Microdramas’ Trend Reaches 28 Million U.S. Viewers, Study Finds

Nearly half of Gen Z say that YouTube or social video platforms are their preferred entertainment platforms over traditional TV or paid streaming.

According to Activate Consulting’s Technology & Media Outlook 2026, which was unveiled by CEO Michael Wolf at the WSJ Tech Live event on Wednesday, 43% of Gen Z are opting for YouTube and TikTok for their media and news consumption.

Per the same survey, the popularity of “microdramas” — one of the latest trends on those platforms, consisting of 1-2 minute scripted episodes of an ongoing storyline — has been increasing at a fast rate with 28 million U.S. adults (52% aged 18-34) reportedly watching that new form of content.

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Additional findings include projections for global internet and media revenue to increase by $388 billion by 2029, while average daily time spent streaming video will climb to 4 hours and 8 minutes as time spent watching traditional TV is set to collapse to just 1 hour and 17 minutes.

Activate estimates that, as a result, streaming revenues (from ads and subscriptions) will grow 18-19% annually while traditional TV revenues will fall 4-6% year to year.

According to the consulting firm’s report, people are currently living a “32-hour, 17-minute day” by multitasking throughout their daily routine online, and consumers spend over 13 hours on media daily by utilizing various social media platforms like Instagram, X, and TikTok. To capitalize on this trend, companies like Amazon are moving into creating more video content, alongside streaming services like Spotify moving to creating audiobooks.