It is no secret that Gen Z likes to scroll. In October, Deloitte published research that 58% of Gen Z spends more time watching videos on social media than on streaming services. However, there is very little data surrounding why Gen Z engages with social media as a platform for comedy.
We all like to laugh. We all need to laugh. Even if what we laugh at changes over time, from City Lights to AI-generated videos of politicians, humor is undoubtedly an integral element of the human experience. Yet many young adults share the belief that “movies are art, short-form videos are not,” as expressed by a University of Michigan student. While shared experiences used to serve as the foundation of comedy culture, students now spend most of their time scrolling independently. Comedy has become anti-social and anti-artistic.
What happened?
An issue of commitment
Forget movies—for Gen Z, even TV is reserved for special occasions. The Stanford Entertainment Lab surveyed 177 high school and college students attending private institutions such as Stanford*, Harvard, and Princeton as well as public universities like the University of Michigan and Penn State to understand the ways in which they consume comedy. Students report spending an average of 30 minutes to an hour scrolling through comedic videos every day while spending a total of one to two hours watching comedic films and TV shows on a weekly basis.
One University of Chicago student notes that it is “often hard to commit to watching shows or movies,” a common sentiment among surveyed students. However, students spend enough time on social media to watch multiple episodes of TV every day, suggesting that format rather than duration influences how students choose to spend time on entertainment.
Comedy is social… or is it?
Many students comment that they watch Instagram Reels and other short-form comedic content for the social benefits of sending videos to friends and relating to other young people. One University of Washington student explains that Reels “allow [them to] share some happiness,” while a Tulane University student mentions that they are glad they can “bond over content with people that [they] would not normally talk to.”
Even though respondents highlight the social benefits of watching Reels and TikToks, young people are significantly less likely to watch short-form content with friends. On a scale from one to five (“always alone” to “always with others”), most respondents selected a 2 and all respondents selected a 3 or lower. Although this is a bit of a paradox, it is not entirely surprising; by isolating ourselves and sharing content we find funny, young people build connections while independently recharging. However, when this becomes a habit, it inevitably leads to decreased social engagement.
Laughter is the best medicine, and the best product
When we asked students if they laugh more watching Reels or TV shows/films, the responses were heavily skewed toward Reels. Although the distribution platform plays a role, we must also consider the quality of content. Like any generation, young audiences today enjoy outrageous humor that feels like it was made for them. Internet humor is often absurd and timely, which is easier than ever to produce with new AI video generation models. Meanwhile, nearly every mainstream comedy in 2025 was a children’s movie or nostalgia-bait reboot, neither of which are particularly appealing to young people.
Despite these trends, all but one respondent shared that they would care if comedic TV/movies stopped getting produced and all content was distributed through social media. Perhaps this attitude will become less prominent over time and long-form content production will decrease. But while Gen Z still craves long-form comedy, studios must invest in content that young people not only appreciate but enjoy.
*Under 13% of respondents were Stanford students.