The short version
Use the menu on the left to jump between sections. Within each section, you can open the supporting data and posts.
Six findings
- Niche interests are how they screen datesAnime and music they dig into say more about a match than reality TV, which most watch weekly but few claim as their taste.
- Their type is a fictional characterThey’re less sure of who they are than the average adult, so they describe who they want through TV and book characters.
- The best first date has something to react toTalking about themselves is the hard part. They show who they are through what they make and wear, and want dates built around an activity.
- Deadlines for the other personThey set goals well above the average and feel stretched thin. Dating has no plan of its own, so talking stages get expiration dates and men get judged on whether they plan.
- They want “chalant” and play it coolThey want men to show interest openly while many hold back their own, and reach for words like “yearning” and “courting.”
- The debrief moved to the comment sectionNumbered date debriefs and dating series put their dating in front of an audience that votes and calls red flags.
Emerging hobbies and interests, Aug–Oct
- Adult recess: field days, spelling bees, speed-puzzlingGames with rules replace small talk; events in several cities in October.
- Co-working socials and productivity partiesMeeting people, or catching up with friends, inside the workday.
- Geocaching comes back, along with other treasure huntsA childhood hobby being pitched as a screen-free outing and a first date.
- Gamer and anime girls’ clubs move offlineSolo, online hobbies become the reason to meet.
- Card nights: Pokémon packs and party card tricksWomen moving into a card hobby where men already are.
- Music video nights and Y2K pregamesThe pregame becomes something to watch or make together.
Media consumption
- NewsCulture over headlines; social is the most trusted news source.
- SocialTikTok is the favorite for about half of women 18–24; social is for inspiration and fandom.
- Streaming videoAbove-average use of most services; anime and animation for 18–24, drama and true crime for 25–34.
- Streaming audioRelationship podcasts run two to three times the average.
Gen Z women screen dates by niche interests, and reality TV is only the opener.
Women 18–24 and 25–34 size up potential partners by the interests they go deep on, like anime, art films and music they look up and read into. Reality TV works as an easy opener because almost everyone watches it, but it says little about a person. On TikTok, niche interests work as quick compatibility checks, and anime in particular gets called both a “green flag” and a “red flag.”
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What the data shows
- See the genre chart aboveComedy is the most-watched TV type for women 18–24. In Morning Consult’s survey, 22% name it, compared with 12% of all adults. That makes them nearly twice as likely as average to name comedy, and it suggests they gravitate toward humor that runs on shared references and inside jokes.
Morning ConsultWatch reality TV at least weekly 58%51%42%Name it as what they watch most: 7%, 11%, 6%Reality TV is widely watched but rarely claimed. In Morning Consult’s survey, 58% of women 18–24 and 51% of women 25–34 watch it at least weekly, compared with 42% of adults. Yet only 7% of the younger group and 11% of the older group name it as what they watch most. They all watch it, but few build their taste around it.ComscoreWatch anime movies at home, vs. average 2.4×1.2×Anime has moved well beyond the stereotype of a male fan base. Comscore shows women 18–24 watch anime at home at about twice the average rate. In Morning Consult’s survey, half of women 18–24 (50%) and 42% of women 25–34 say they like anime films, compared with 30% of all adults.ComscoreVisit Genius for lyrics, vs. average 1.7×1.7×Music is something they dig into. Comscore shows both groups visit the lyrics site Genius at about 1.7 times the average rate. Spotify’s net favorability, a measure of how much more people like a brand than dislike it, is 62 among women 18–24 and 57 among women 25–34, well above 46 among all adults.- From TikTok searchMusic is also the most common thing people say they “bonded over,” based on TikTok’s own suggested searches.
What women are posting
Anime as an attraction signal
give me the man that watches anime 👀
TikTok · Apr 21Open post ↗A creator offers to judge people by their favorite show
Let me know what your favourite anime is and I’ll tell you whether you’re a GREEN FLAG or RED FLAG 👀🤭
TikTok · Sep 19Open post ↗The same interest can read as a warning
Coming from a girl who games and likes anime, you can always tell 🙂↕️
TikTok · May 9Open post ↗Music as the thing people bond over
you was my music soulmate
TikTok · May 24 · 49.5K likesOpen post ↗
Gen Z women describe who they want through fictional characters, because they’re less sure of who they are.
Both groups care more than average about impressing others, and both are less sure than average of who they are. On social, that gap shows up in how they describe what they want. “My type” posts are built almost entirely around TV characters, “book boyfriends” and romance-novel archetypes, with little about personality or values in their own words. Some women are going on low-stakes “practice dates” to work out what they want. Creators are starting to point out that fictional ideals have become real-life standards.
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What the data shows
- Women 18–24 are nearly twice as likely as the average adult to say they like a lifestyle that impresses others: 38% in Morning Consult’s survey, compared with 22% of all adults. Women 25–34 are also above average at 29%.
- Most say they have a strong sense of self: 75% of women 18–24 and 81% of women 25–34. Those numbers sound high, but both trail the average adult at 86%. This audience is less settled in who they are than the population as a whole, and the youngest women are the least settled.
- The same pattern holds for self-expression. 76% of women 18–24 and 78% of women 25–34 feel comfortable expressing who they are, below 84% of all adults. These questions come from very large samples, about 30,000 people per group, so the gaps are reliable.
What women are posting
“My type” as a fictional character
seth cohen and stiles stilinski are literally perfect for this description
TikTok · Oct 19 · 95.6K likesOpen post ↗Description of post
Four romance-novel men listed under #mytype
TikTok · Oct 26 · 20.6K likesOpen post ↗A creator names the problem directly
We created the perfect fictional boyfriend, and now he’s competing with real life men. The internet took romance archetypes and turned them into dating standards
TikTok · Mar 10Open post ↗Still working it out
i need to find a happy medium or just a whole new type LOL #datinginyour20s
TikTok · Aug 25Open post ↗“Practice dating” took off this summer: low-stakes dates to build confidence and learn what you want
My take on practice dating
TikTok · Jun 5 · 31.3K likesOpen post ↗
The best first date gives Gen Z women something to react to, because talking about themselves is the hard part.
First dates ask Gen Z women to do what they’re least comfortable with: describe themselves. Both groups are less comfortable than average putting themselves into words. They’re more likely than average to use fashion, art and making things as their way of showing who they are. On social, “hobbymaxxing” is part of being single and independent. The test for a good first date is whether it gives both people something new to talk about. An activity lets what they make, wear and notice do the introducing.
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What the data shows
- Fashion is a main outlet. In Morning Consult’s survey, 68% of women 18–24 and 60% of women 25–34 say expressing who they are through fashion is important, compared with 45% of all adults. Both groups are well ahead of average.
- They make things far more than most people. Comscore shows 29% of women 18–24 painted or drew in the last six months, three to three-and-a-half times the average rate. Women 25–34 do so at about one-and-a-half times the average.
- Their friends treat them as the experts. Comscore shows about a third of women 18–24 frequently advise others on fashion and beauty, two to three times the average.
What women are posting
Hobbies tied to single life
hobbymaxxing as the kids say #single #independent
TikTok · Apr 26 · 443.1K likesOpen post ↗The bar for a first date
The best first dates give you both something new to talk about ✨
TikTok · Oct 16Open post ↗Discomfort with self-description, said openly
does anybody else prefer *not* to talk about themselves in a conversation ???? Or do I need therapy
TikTok · Apr 28Open post ↗
Gen Z women plan everything except dating, so they set deadlines for the other person instead.
Both groups are more goal-driven and more stretched than the average adult. Women 18–24 are also in near-constant change across school, jobs and housing. On social, the twenties get framed as years for building yourself, with dating optional. Timelines do reach dating, though, as tests applied to the other person: how long a talking stage should last before it’s over, and whether he plans the date. They even describe talking stages in shopping terms: a “free trial” that runs out, or an “abandoned cart.”
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What the data shows
- Most set goals to get ahead: 74% of women 18–24 and 72% of women 25–34, compared with 59% of all adults (Morning Consult). That’s well above average, so planning is a defining habit for this audience.
- Many feel stretched thin. More than half of both groups (58% and 56%) say juggling family and work demands is very stressful, compared with 37% of all adults, roughly one-and-a-half times the average.
- Life is in motion for women 18–24, according to Comscore: about two-thirds are students, roughly 40% started a new job in the last year, and about half plan to change jobs or careers in the next year. Women 25–34 change jobs at above-average rates too, though less often.
What women are posting
The twenties are for building yourself
These are the years to figure out who YOU are and create a life you’re proud of, with or without a man
TikTok · Oct 11Open post ↗Talking stages come with an expiration date
when your free trial is over #talkingstage #situationship
TikTok · Jul 15 · 283.8K likesOpen post ↗Planning becomes a test for him
Stop speaking to men who don’t plan dates
TikTok · Jul 21 · 25.1K likesOpen post ↗Shopping language for a talking stage that stalls
But have you ever had your cart abandoned?
TikTok · Sep 27Open post ↗
Gen Z women want men to show interest openly while holding back their own.
Both groups care more than average about how they come across, and both are less comfortable than average expressing themselves. On social, women call out “nonchalant” men, meaning men who act like they don’t care, and use “chalant” for what they want instead: visible effort and affection. Some women also criticize their whole generation for playing it cool. Both sides protect themselves the same way while asking the other to go first. The words they reach for are old-fashioned ones: “yearning,” “courting,” “chalant.”
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What the data shows
- In Morning Consult’s survey, 38% of women 18–24 and 29% of women 25–34 say they like a lifestyle that impresses others, compared with 22% of all adults. Image matters more to them than to most people.
- Fewer than average feel comfortable expressing who they are: 76% and 78%, compared with 84% of all adults. That makes openly showing interest a bigger risk for them.
What women are posting
Asking where the effort went
What’s this epidemic of nonchalant men? Genuine question
Threads · May 26Open post ↗Ladies: how yal make a nonchalant man, chalant?
Threads · Sep 17Open post ↗Spelling out what they want instead
Unfortunately, I don’t like nonchalant men. Take the lead. Check up on me. Be affectionate and intentional.
Threads · Oct 21Open post ↗“Chalant” as the word for it
keep the passive and nonchalant men. 😭 need mine OVERLY CHALANT ABOUT ME!
TikTok · May 5 · 8.8K likesOpen post ↗Nonchalant is not a personality… it’s a lack of effort.
TikTok · Mar 8 · 11K likesOpen post ↗Calling it out in her own generation
i hate gen z obsession with being nonchalant with to eachother like bro we only live once stop being so damn awkward
X · Jul 17Open post ↗We only do chalant here 🖤 #moderndating
TikTok · Oct 19Open post ↗Older words for what they want
Hey can we bring back courting? I would like to be courted
TikTok · Feb 4Open post ↗
The date debrief has moved from the group chat to the comment section.
Gen Z women are less likely than average to take their cues from friends and family, and far more likely to trust what they see on social. Their dating talk has followed. Debriefs get posted as numbered episodes (“Date debrief #9”), followers are asked “red flag or overthinking?”, and “dating series” run like shows, with viewers voting on favorite dates and signing up to be the next one. The same women who play it cool one-on-one are comfortable dating in front of an audience.
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What the data shows
- Fewer than average hear about new things from the people closest to them. In Morning Consult’s survey, 55% of women 18–24 and 58% of women 25–34 discover new brands through friends and family, compared with 65% of all adults.
- They trust what they see on social far more than average. Social media is the platform they’re most likely to call the most trustworthy for news (29% and 28% vs. 18%). In a smaller recent sample, 68% of women 18–24 said they trust social media posts for health information, compared with 32% of adults, so treat that one as directional.
- Weighing in is part of why they’re there. 36% and 34% say sharing and discussing opinions is a main reason they use social media, compared with 30% of adults, and 36% and 31% follow celebrities and influencers, compared with 22%.
- The format has a name and a structure. Posts are labeled “Date debrief #8,” “#9,” and so on; the largest dating series this fall, #10datesin10days, opened sign-ups with “not all spots are full” (149.6K likes) and asks viewers to vote on their favorite date. That series is run by a couple, so it is context rather than a quote here.
What women are posting
The ninth post in a numbered debrief series
Date debrief with the short king!! Are these red flags or am I overthinking
TikTok · Oct 22Open post ↗On screen: “Red flag or overthinking?”
Okay but seriously… am I overthinking this one 👀
TikTok · Oct 10Open post ↗10 first dates in 30 days… we have SO much to catch up on 😅✨
TikTok · Oct 19 · 2.2K likesOpen post ↗September dating series update!! I have officially made it to 11 dates
TikTok · Sep 17Open post ↗
Hobbies and interests popping up, August to October
Activities and formats that spread on TikTok, X and Threads over the past three months. Some draw a mixed crowd and some are built for women; each one notes what women in particular are saying about it. Run clubs, supper clubs and dinner parties are left out because they are already widely covered.
Adult recess: field days, spelling bees, zombie tag and speed-puzzling
School-day competitions are being rebuilt for adults at parks, bars and breweries, usually played in mixed teams. A game with rules and a scoreboard gives everyone something to do besides make conversation.
A game with rules and teams does the work small talk usually does. Posts lean on nostalgia (“feel young(er) again”), adult recess events ran in Atlanta, Raleigh and Philadelphia in October alone, and The Times called zombie tag the new rival to run clubs.
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Organizers are running repeat events: Atlanta’s adult recess promoted “recess is back THIS SATURDAY!” on Oct 12, and Scottsdale’s announced “Adult recess is back” for Sept. 13. Zombie tag is part of the same wave: The Times called it “the new game rivalling run clubs” on Oct 21, and a New York host had nearly 100 people sign up for one game on Oct 17.
An adult field day
What a joy to feel young(er) again 😂 From the little playground beefs to being fully dragged in tug of war and hopping around in a sack race…
TikTok · Oct 22Open post ↗Need a fun activity for a couples night in: you HAVE to do an adult spelling bee 🐝🤣
TikTok · Oct 23Open post ↗A speed-puzzling competition at a bar
Might not have won, but we had a blast! Would 1,000% do this again.
TikTok · Oct 11Open post ↗On screen: “POV: you hosted a field day in NYC”
this is your sign to plan an adult field day🙂↕️ didnt get the best clips bc i was laughing
TikTok · Oct 5Open post ↗Adult field day might be better than brunch 😭🤷🏽♀️😂
TikTok · Sep 1Open post ↗
Co-working socials and productivity parties
Remote workers are meeting at a shared table to get work done, then staying for drinks. Friends are doing the same at home, hosting “productivity parties” and “admin days” to clear their to-do lists together. Productivity has become a reason to see people instead of a reason to cancel on them.
It fits inside a workday, so it doesn’t compete with a packed schedule (Finding 4). Women are organizing their own versions (“Your next coworking bestie could be nearby”), friends frame it as getting more done together than alone, and meetups ran in Chicago and elsewhere in October alone.
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The host’s second session ran Oct 29
At our first Work-In Wednesday, I brought together people from all different backgrounds with one thing in common: wanting to get out of the house and connect with your local community.
TikTok · Oct 26Open post ↗On screen: “This is your sign to host an admin day with your friends”
Productivity hits different when you have people who can encourage you and hold you accountable
TikTok · Oct 6Open post ↗A “productive sip” meetup: drinks, laptops and a to-do list
POV: you are having a productive sip with new friends — and somehow you got more done…
TikTok · Sep 12Open post ↗Promoting a remote girls’ co-working meetup
Your next coworking bestie could be nearby 💻☕️💕
TikTok · Oct 10Open post ↗Chicago co-work meetup! So excited to co-work with you guys! 💻☕️
TikTok · Oct 9Open post ↗
Geocaching comes back, along with other treasure hunts
Geocaching, using GPS coordinates to find small hidden boxes, is being rediscovered as a childhood hobby worth bringing back. Foraging for mushrooms and mudlarking for old buttons and coins on riverbanks show up alongside it, as both friend outings and first dates.
Each outing has a goal and something to react to, so conversation has somewhere to start. Geocaching in particular is being pitched as a fix for screen fatigue, with people calling for phone-free versions, and it went viral as a date idea in August, even if as a joke.
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Small samples; treat as directional.
Geocaching also turned into a dating punchline in August: a screenshotted text proposing a date, “Pretty go geocaching,” drew 1.8 million views on X (posted by a man, Aug. 2), with replies calling it the fastest way to kill a vibe.
Free marketing idea: let’s bring back geocaching. I loved geocaching as a child… let’s use geocaching in real life as a way to ensure humans win at human games.
X · Aug 25Open post ↗Do people still go geocaching? Or am I just old lol
Threads · Sep 15Open post ↗Geocaching in Austin
Your friends on a random Thursday morning 🤸 #geocaching
TikTok · Sep 3Open post ↗Posted as “POV your bf plans the date”
Foraging! I actually had the best time!
TikTok · Oct 14Open post ↗A forest date, good company, and a Reishi find! 🌿🍄
TikTok · Sep 1Open post ↗
Gamer and anime girls’ clubs move offline
Women-only clubs built around a single game or fandom held their first meetups this fall. Gaming and anime are usually seen as solo or male hobbies, so these clubs run against expectations, and each one sets the shared interest before anyone walks in. Women 18–24 watch anime at about twice the average rate and use Twitch and Discord more than average.
Hobbies usually done alone and online are becoming a social calendar. Names like “Baddies Who Play The Sims” and “Otaku Hot Girls Club” make them social and glamorous, and at least four women-only clubs held first meetups or opened membership between August and October.
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Baddies Who Play The Sims Club, New York
Calling all women who play The Sims in New York 💚 We started a club and our first meet up in next month.
TikTok · Oct 22Open post ↗Philadelphia; 25 spots at $30
Otaku Hot Girls Club is going IRL for the first time, and we’re bringing together anime girls, gamers, cosplayers, K-pop fans, creators, artists, and nerdy women who want to meet other creatives!
TikTok · Sep 30 · 1.3K likesOpen post ↗Girls Who Game, Long Beach, launching themed game nights
Your villain era looks better with new girlfriends 👯♀️✨😈
TikTok · Aug 14Open post ↗Digital Dolliez, Las Vegas
Let’s go outside gamer girls 👾
TikTok · Sep 21Open post ↗
Card nights: Pokémon packs and party card tricks
Opening Pokémon trading card packs, “looking for hits” in collector terms, is turning into a planned night out with friends, and card shops have started hosting women’s nights around it. Card tricks are having a smaller moment too, pitched as an easy party trick anyone can learn in a minute.
Women are moving into a hobby where men already are, which puts them in a shared space with men who care about the same niche thing. They borrow collector language (“looking for hits”) and frame it as “girls’ night, but make it Pokémon.”
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For comparison, TCGplayer draws men 18–34 at 2.4 times the average.
On screen: “POV: Girls’ night, but make it Pokémon TCG”
Our kind of fun: looking for hits. 🥂🃏✨
TikTok · Sep 30Open post ↗On screen: “POV you need an easy party trick you can learn in one minute”
Easy card trick tutorial you can learn in one minute
TikTok · Sep 19 · 17.8K likesOpen post ↗
Themed pregames: music video nights and Y2K parties
Friends are turning the pregame into its own event. Some gather around the TV to watch old music videos on YouTube, some film their own music video before going out, and others throw an early-2000s party before a nostalgic concert, most recently Hilary Duff’s Lucky Me Tour.
Fans turned one concert into a full night with friends, with early-2000s decor, candy and Lizzie McGuire cocktails. A shared reference point gives a group something to plan around.
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Some of the best nights are the nights just hanging out with friends watching old music videos on YouTube.
X · Oct 4Open post ↗Pre gaming with us means u have to be in a music video no questions asked
TikTok · Oct 18Open post ↗A music video pregame for a birthday
I don’t make the rules!! 😉🎥 #musicvideo #pregame #birthdayparty #throwback
TikTok · Aug 30Open post ↗Pregame music video
TikTok · Aug 21Open post ↗Here’s everything we did for our y2k/2000s girls night
TikTok · Sep 22 · 3.9K likesOpen post ↗this is your sign to host a 2000’s-themed pregame for the Hilary Duff concert 💿🦋✨💞🪩🎶
TikTok · Aug 4Open post ↗
Where Gen Z women spend their attention
Morning Consult is a survey of what people say they do. Comscore measures what they actually visit and watch. Each point below names its source. Multipliers compare each group with the average for that source.
They follow culture more than headlines, and trust social more than TV
Women 18–24 and 25–34 do follow the news. They just define it differently than most adults. Entertainment, food and art top what they follow, while politics, local news and sports fall well below average. They’re also the most likely to say social media is the most trustworthy news source, ahead of any TV network. For earned media, a story reaches them through the culture desk and social feeds more than through hard news.
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- In Morning Consult’s survey, entertainment news (music, TV and film) is the top type of news for 27% of women 18–24 and 24% of women 25–34, nearly double the 14% of all adults. Food news runs two to three times the average (17% and 11% vs. 6%), and art news is about four times higher among the younger group (5% vs. 1%).
- They rarely name hard news as their top type. Only 6% of women 18–24 and 10% of women 25–34 pick politics, compared with 14% of adults. Local news (5.5% and 11% vs. 19%) and sports (about 4% vs. 12%) are also far behind.
- Social media is the platform they’re most likely to call the most trustworthy for news, at 29% and 28%, compared with 18% of adults. Broadcast networks like ABC, CBS and NBC come in at 11% and 14%, about half the 24% of all adults.
- They come across news on social media every day at about the same rate as everyone else (44% and 46% vs. 44%). They rarely go to news sites directly (about 20% daily vs. 29%), and hear news from friends and family a little more often than average (27% vs. 24%). The difference is that they trust what they find on social, not that they spend more time there.
- Comscore points to the same pattern. National news websites reach few women 18–24: Yahoo News and CNN reach this group at about half the average rate or less. Women 25–34 visit The New York Times at about the average rate (roughly a quarter of them). Apple News reaches about 30% of both groups, slightly above average. The weather app is the one news product they use more than average, at 1.5 to 1.7 times.
- Fashion and culture magazines over-index. In Comscore’s Plan Metrix survey, about 14% of women 18–24 say they read or looked at New York magazine in the last month, close to five times the average (women 25–34 are about 1.4 times). Allure runs two-and-a-half to three-and-a-half times the average for both groups. Elle, InStyle, Vanity Fair and Vogue each run two to four times the average among women 25–34. The sample is small, so treat this as directional; the mobile data shows the same pattern for New York and Allure.
- The weak spot is the magazines’ websites. NYMag.com, which includes The Cut, reaches under 1% of either group in Comscore, and Cosmopolitan.com, Bustle and People.com each reach only a few percent. These women know the magazine names but mostly see the stories as they get passed around on social.
A place for inspiration and fandom, not just staying in touch
Both groups use social media to keep up with friends at the same rate as everyone else. The difference is in what else they use it for. Social media is where they find ideas, follow people, and pass time. TikTok is the center of it, Pinterest and Snapchat sit right behind it, and smaller niche apps over-index sharply among the younger group.
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- TikTok is the favorite platform for 49% of women 18–24 and 38% of women 25–34, compared with 15% of all social media users (Morning Consult). In Comscore data, it reaches about three-quarters of women 18–24 and close to 9 in 10 women 25–34.
- Why they use social media, according to Morning Consult: finding inspiration (52% and 47% vs. 34% of adults); following celebrities and influencers (36% and 31% vs. 22%); sharing and discussing opinions (36% and 34% vs. 30%); filling spare time (60% and 54% vs. 47%). Reading news stories is the exception: 28% of women 18–24 compared with 36% of adults, lower than average even though they say social is where they trust news most.
- Pinterest reaches nearly three-quarters of women 18–24, about 1.8 times the average (Comscore). Snapchat reaches more than half of them, about 2.4 times the average. Both groups use these apps well above average.
- Smaller platforms over-index sharply among women 18–24. Tumblr reaches about 12% of both groups at around two-and-a-half times the average. CapCut runs about twice the average for both groups, Lemon8 about two-and-a-half times among women 18–24, and Discord 1.3 to 1.7 times. GroupMe reaches about 1 in 5 women 18–24, close to five times the average, which reflects how many of them are in college. Partiful, the event-invite app, shows up at about four times the average among women 18–24 (small sample, directional).
- X and Reddit reach about 40–50% of these women, roughly the average. Threads reaches only 2–4% of them in Comscore data, which makes it useful for social listening but a minor channel for reaching them. Facebook is the one major platform women 18–24 under-index on.
They use more services than average, and lean toward animated and cult-classic TV
Both groups use nearly every major streaming service more than the average adult; Amazon Prime is the exception, where they’re about average. Their genre tastes split by age. Women 18–24 lean toward anime, animation and teen titles. Women 25–34 lean toward drama, true crime and late-night TV. Reality TV is the one genre both groups watch often but rarely name as a favorite.
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- Use of streaming services, from Morning Consult: Netflix (81% and 78% vs. 66% of adults); Hulu (69% and 67% vs. 53%); Disney+ (67% and 66% vs. 48%); HBO Max (58% and 53% vs. 42%). Apple TV+ is slightly above average, and Peacock and Paramount+ are close to average.
- Comscore shows Hulu reaches more than a third of women 25–34, a little over twice the average. Tubi, the free service, runs one-and-a-half to nearly two times the average for both groups.
- Animation over-indexes for women 18–24, according to Comscore’s Plan Metrix survey. 44% watched anime at home, about 2.4 times the average, and 37% watch cartoons in a typical week, about 1.8 times. Teen movies run about 2.3 times the average. Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network and Disney Channel are named as favorite channels at about three times the average, and Adult Swim runs nearly twice the average for both groups. Crunchyroll’s app reaches about 4% of women 18–24, three times the average.
- Women 25–34 lean toward late-night shows (1.8 times the average), drama (1.2 times) and true crime. They’re also 1.2 times more likely than average to watch romance films at home, while women 18–24 are about average.
- A newer format to watch: short serialized “micro-drama” apps. VibeShort reaches about 4% of women 18–24, over four times the average, and ReelShort is also above average (Comscore). Webtoon, the vertical comics app, reaches about 7% of women 18–24, more than five times the average. Both are small, fast-growing channels for serialized romance and drama that most brands aren’t on yet.
- Fan wikis show how deep they go into what they watch. Fandom’s TV wikis reach about 1 in 10 of both groups at nearly twice the average, and its book wikis run nearly three times the average among women 25–34.
- Sports is the one genre where both groups are below average: 48% of women 18–24 and 40% of women 25–34 watch weekly, compared with 54% of adults. The exception is women’s sports as a night out. During the WNBA Finals, women-owned bars and watch-party groups filled up, and posts focused on the room more than the game: “the bar is owned by women and most of the people here are women” (Oct 24).
Music they look up, and podcasts about relationships and making things
Music is close to universal for them, and they engage with it actively by looking up lyrics, seeking out smaller artists and going to shows. Their podcast tastes are where they differ most from average. Relationship podcasts are one of the strongest over-indexes in the data for both groups. Women 18–24 also over-index on interviews and fiction, and women 25–34 on advice and true crime. Both groups listen to news podcasts less than average.
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- Spotify reaches about 70% of both groups at 1.3 times the average (Comscore). Apple Music’s app over-indexes even more strongly, at about 2.4 times the average among women 18–24 and 1.8 times among women 25–34. Women 18–24 are almost twice as likely as average to use Spotify’s free tier.
- They go beyond the mainstream apps. In Comscore data, Genius reaches 14% of both groups at about 1.7 times the average, SoundCloud runs 1.6 to 1.9 times, Audiomack (which leans toward hip-hop and Afrobeats) about seven times among women 18–24, and Live Nation’s sites about twice the average among women 18–24.
- Favorite music genres for women 18–24, from Comscore’s Plan Metrix survey: hip-hop (48%, about 1.7 times the average), R&B (41%, about 1.5 times), punk rock (29%, about two-and-a-half times) and international music (about twice). Women 25–34 lean toward pop, R&B and international music. Country and classic rock are below average for both groups.
- Podcasts, from Comscore’s Plan Metrix survey: about 43% of women 25–34 listen in a typical week, 1.4 times the average; women 18–24 are about average at 33%. Relationship podcasts run about two times the average for women 18–24 and three times for women 25–34, and the mobile data shows the same pattern. Arts, design, fashion and food podcasts run nearly two times the average for women 18–24 and about three times for women 25–34. Hobby and craft podcasts run 1.6 to 2.2 times the average. Women 18–24 over-index on interviews (2.4 times) and fiction or audio drama (2.2 times); women 25–34 on advice and self-help (2 times) and true crime (2.3 times).
- Among podcast listeners in Morning Consult’s survey, pop culture podcasts reach 53% of women 18–24 and 49% of women 25–34, compared with 40% of adults. Lifestyle and advice podcasts reach 56% of both groups, compared with 46%. News and politics podcasts (50% and 47% vs. 60%) are the only type both groups listen to less than average.
Reading, learning, live streams and beauty
A few smaller channels round out the picture. Each is modest in reach, but each over-indexes in a way that ties back to the findings on making, learning and self-presentation.
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- Reading: Kindle’s app reaches about 6% of women 25–34, about 1.6 times the average. Goodreads is slightly above average for the same group. Women 18–24 read more on Webtoon than on Kindle (Comscore).
- Learning apps: Duolingo reaches about 7% of women 18–24, about 1.7 times the average.
- Gaming and live streams: Twitch reaches about 1 in 5 women 18–24, about 1.5 times the average. In Morning Consult’s survey, both groups watch live streams on social media at about the average rate (31–34%).
- Beauty: Ipsy reaches about 7% of women 18–24, more than three times the average. That fits Finding 3: about a third of women 18–24 frequently advise others on fashion and beauty.
Notes on sources
- Morning Consult data covers roughly the past 12–16 months. Samples are about 550–1,800 per group for the news questions and much larger for platform use and identity questions (about 30,000 per group). Hobby and life-event questions have small samples and are treated as directional.
- In Comscore’s Plan Metrix data, magazine, podcast-genre and TV-type results come from smaller panels. Only rows without a small-sample flag are used, and the text notes where the mobile data confirms a result.
- Newspaper-by-title and cable-news rows are left out because the samples are too small to rely on. Rows for individual dating apps are left out.
- Social posts are quoted verbatim and dated from the post itself. Every quoted post is from a woman or a women’s group account; each creator’s account was checked. Emerging hobby posts are dated August through October 2026. Posts that read as non-US were dropped.