According to a 2023 survey conducted in the United States, Gen Z respondents were spending the most time using their phones, over *** hours a day. By contrast, Baby Boomers recorded a daily screen time of roughly ***** hours and ** minutes.  Many users feel addicted to smartphones As technology’s role in our everyday life increases, consumers tend to spend more and more time using electronic devices, whether it is for working and studying on laptops and tablets, watching TV or scrolling social media on smartphones. As a consequence, many users across all generations feel somewhat addicted to smartphones. According to a 2023 survey conducted in the United States, Gen Z users felt addicted to such devices the most, followed by Millennials. Taking a step back and nostalgia for early 2000s How can we combat the overwhelming urge to stay connected and take a step back from our always-on reality? In an effort to reduce screen time, many users, especially those in Gen Z, are expressing a sense of nostalgia for early 2000s technology, particularly dumb phones and wired headphones. For instance, during a 2024 survey in the United States, ** percent of Gen Z respondents stated they would be interested in purchasing dumb phones, followed by ** percent of Millennials - a trend that might involve more users in the future.

A 2023 survey revealed that smartphones were the preferred device for watching video content in the U.S. among 13 to 24-year-olds, with ** percent using them weekly. In contrast, smart TVs were more popular among viewers aged 35 years and older, indicating a clear generational divide in viewing preferences. As more and more people switch to streaming offers, MVPD set-top boxes have become increasingly unpopular. Generational differences in content choices According to another survey from October 2023, nearly **** of Gen Z respondents stated to prefer social video and live streams, compared to one third of millennials. This preference for short-form, interactive content aligns with the high smartphone usage among younger viewers. Meanwhile, millennials are more likely to choose traditional TV shows and movies as their favorite content type, explaining their higher penetration rate of smart TVs and connected devices. Entertainment time The amount of time spent on different video platforms varies significantly by age group. Millennials with young children spend an average of over ***** hours per day watching content on connected TV devices, more than double the time spent by other demographics. This trend is further supported by data showing that viewers over 35 dedicate ** percent of their entertainment screen time to TV, while Gen Z allocates only ** percent to this medium. Instead, younger viewers spread their time across various platforms, with gaming accounting for the highest share of their entertainment screen time.

According to a survey from July 2021, approximately one half of Romanian Gen Z representatives aged between 16 and 18 years spent from four to eight hours per day in front of a TV, phone, or a laptop screen. The highest share of those spending over 12 hours in front of screens was recorded among 19-to-21-year olds.