Opinion: Do young people prefer streaming over live TV? I sure do - and here's why

Gone are the nights when the whole family would gather around the TV to watch Britain's Got Talent – instead, 16-24 year olds are choosing streaming sites like Netflix, YouTube and TikTok over traditional television.

It seems as though BBC, ITV and Channel 4 are doing all they can to engage younger audiences with shows they think they'll like – but the problem isn't what's on TV, it's what's not.

With a world of content on YouTube, we can decide exactly what we want to indulge in during our precious free time, whether it's watching a YouTuber tour around the country in a converted van, or a TikTokker selling baked potatoes out of one.

What we do need to remember is that social media and doom-scrolling is an addiction, one which I am tinkering on the edge of myself, I must admit. It's so easy to escape from your daily chores and work to watch utter brain rot on Instagram or Facebook Reels – it doesn't require effort or even actual thoughts. Just mindless swiping.

With young teens, TikTok trends they love and care so much about are changing faster than they can say 'skibidi', and they've got to keep up or risk being uncool.

I do enjoy the occasional TV show myself, though I can't remember the last time I tuned in at a certain time to watch a specific show. A big difference between my grandma and I; she makes sure her TV programme is tucked in her weekly paper before buying it.

People are busy. Too busy sometimes to sit down and make sure they catch a show as and when it's happening. Why do that when you can just open BBC iPlayer or ITVX and watch it at your convenience? These on-demand channels provide the flexibility and particularly immediacy that we, especially the younger generation, have come to need as a result of video-led social media. They became the main characters, bringing the demise of TV as we knew it.

The study by Ofcom found that just 48 per cent of young people tuned in to live TV each week in 2023, which represented a drop off from 76 per cent in 2018.

Those aged between 16 and 24 were found to watch just 20 minutes of television each week, while people aged between 25 and 34 watch television for 35 minutes in the average week.

As many as 93 per cent of 16 to 24 year olds spend an hour and a half watching video streaming platforms in the average week instead.

Ofcom says the TV set "remains at the heart of household viewing", but said an increase in its use was being primarily driven by an uptick in the viewing of video-sharing platforms.

On-demand services rose in viewers by 29 per cent between 2022 and 2023. Traditional television remains popular among older audiences, with those aged 65 and above watching more than four hours of television every week.

Live national and international events have topped the tables of the most popular TV broadcasts, with the Euro 2024 final between England and Spain attracting 15.1 million viewers across the BBC and ITV.

Speaking about the figures, Ian Macrae, Ofcom’s director of market intelligence said: “Gen Z and Alpha are used to swiping and streaming, not flipping through broadcast TV channels.

“They crave the flexibility, immediacy and choice that on-demand services offer, spending over three hours a day watching video, but only 20 minutes of live TV.

“It’s no surprise that the traditional TV is fast becoming a device of choice to watch YouTube.

“But while live TV may not have the universal pull it once did, its role in capturing those big moments that bring the nation together remains vital.”

I'll soon be logging off and watching Gossip Girl on Netflix on my train ride home.