Characteristics of Content Chosen by Generation Z

Currently, YouTube accounts for the largest share of time in Generation Z’s consumption of online content. According to research conducted by the University Tomorrow 20s Research Institute, YouTube (60.0%, ranked 1st) overwhelmingly topped the list of content newly enjoyed by people in their twenties within the past year. Moreover, 8 out of 10 respondents in their twenties (83.0%) frequently used various YouTube features, such as adjusting the playback sections and speed or revisiting the most replayed scenes. For Generation Z, consuming content flexibly at their own pace rather than watching from beginning to end is both natural and familiar.
In this environment, the key criterion for selecting content has become the ability to flexibly control how fast, how long, and when to focus, as well as which parts to listen to passively. This explains why Generation Z can coexist with content 24 hours a day. Whether eating, preparing to go out, studying or even sleeping, content fills the gaps in their daily life. Yet consuming content at every moment does not mean being immersed at every moment. When examining the reasons why people in their twenties enjoy YouTube, “…because it can be enjoyed in spare moments without setting aside separate time” ranked first (40%), followed by “…because it is more affordable than other leisure activities” (33.3%) and “…because it does not require continuous focus or commitment” (32.5%). They prefer content that imposes little burden, does not require full concentration, and allows free adjustment of their level of immersion, consuming it flexibly to fill the spaces in their everyday life.

“That Something” Found in Baseball Stadiums and Exhibitions

Amid these changes, offline content such as exhibitions, fairs, and baseball games—alongside YouTube and SNS content—has gained favor among Generation Z. One might ask, “Isn’t a baseball game very long?” or “Isn’t an exhibition something that requires immersion?” Yet there is a distinct difference. In baseball, although the total game time is long, one need not focus on every moment. One can eat, sing cheering songs, or chat with friends while watching. Exhibitions are similar. One Generation Z respondent noted, “Even when visiting an exhibition with my friends, we view it separately at our own pace.” If an exhibit aligns with one’s personal taste, one may linger there longer, arranging the route according to preference. It is not about viewing something according to a “predetermined flow,” but designing a “tempo that suits me.”
Generation Z’s consumption patterns and behaviors have also altered their reading habits. Whereas reading once meant reading a book from beginning to end, today’s approach differs. “Parallel reading,” which has recently gained attention, exemplifies this shift. By reading multiple books simultaneously and alternating between them, readers free themselves from the compulsion to finish one book before moving on, thereby enjoying reading at their own pace. If their interest wanes, they may switch books midway. As consumption becomes more flexible, psychological barriers to books diminish, and books are re-recognized as accessible content. In summary, content chosen today shares the characteristic of allowing users to consume at their own pace, adjusting immersion rather than being compelled into it. While older generations regarded content as something to “watch with concentration,” Generation Z consumes it as though letting it flow like background. The University Tomorrow 20s Research Institute defines such flexible, loosely flowing content in Generation Z’s daily life as “Liquid Content.”

Why Generation Z “Samples” Content

In an era of content abundance, Generation Z designs methods of consumption that allow them to enjoy their limited time more meaningfully. Rather than delving deeply into one thing, they fill daily life with liquid content, sampling broadly and lightly, consuming multiple items in parallel and switching quickly. This extends beyond content to other fields—light fandom across multiple interests, one-day classes and interest-based gatherings, N-jobs and side projects—through which they expand their boundaries by accumulating diverse experiences.
In a rapidly changing world, there is no single formula for success, as was the case in the past. Careers and lifestyles diversify, technology and trends update continuously, and choices multiply. Within this environment, Generation Z invests significant energy in understanding themselves. To make better decisions among countless options and to grow without falling behind, self-awareness has become increasingly important. Their light and flexible consumption of content and experiences aligns with this approach: sampling widely to discover what suits them rather than committing wholly to one path.
The same applies to content. To be chosen by Generation Z, who pursue horizontal expansion and fill their daily life with varied experiences, content must resemble something that flows through daily life—to be turned on, paused, and resumed at any time—rather than presuming intense immersion from the outset.