A new report released on Feb 25, 2026, from the Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS) at UCLA reveals a change in the types of male characters that younger audiences (aged 10-24) want to see in movies and TV. The study, titled “Gen Alpha and Gen Z: Evolving Masculinity,” shows that audiences are moving away from traditional, rigid masculine tropes and seeking emotional availability and connection.
“Our findings reveal a profound cultural shift: Youth are craving a version of masculinity defined by emotional availability and joyful connection,” says Yalda T. Uhls, founder and CEO of CSS, the study’s senior author, and an adjunct professor in UCLA’s psychology department.
For decades, the standard “TV Dad” has typically occupied one of two roles: the wise, all-knowing sage or the stoic, “strong and silent” provider. However, the study “Gen Alpha and Gen Z: Evolving Masculinity” suggests that viewers are looking for something different. Instead of isolation or emotional distance, these generations want male characters who embrace vulnerability and deep emotional connection.
There does seem to be a growing trend in this direction. We recently wrote about how a group of dads is breaking generational trauma and empowering a generation of healthy masculinity.
A New Demand for “Joyful Dads”
The study’s results indicate a nationwide desire for content creators to embrace a new vision of fatherhood on screen. Rather than isolated stoicism, young people are specifically looking for “fathers enjoying parenting” and “fathers showing love to kids.”
Across the entire study sample, the preference for nurturing fathers over traditional ones was 5-to-1. Among the 10–14 age bracket, demand skyrocketed to an 11-to-1 ratio. Nearly 60% of respondents requested to see more fathers openly expressing love, and 46% of those surveyed want stories where men are comfortable asking for help, particularly regarding their mental health.
According to the report, “joyful fatherhood” was the single most requested portrayal of masculinity. Uhls notes that by focusing on narratives of partnership and care, storytellers can offer a new vision of heroism: “The most compelling hero isn’t the one standing alone, but the one who has the courage to be present.”
Vulnerability Matters Across All Ages
While the demand for “connected masculinity” is highest among Gen Alpha, it remains a consistent priority as kids enter young adulthood (ages 19–24). The data confirms that even for this oldest group, the desire for nurturing male figures doesn’t go away; it simply evolves and remains at a 3-to-1 ratio.
Matt Puretz, CSS senior researcher and co-author of the report, emphasizes that this isn’t just a trend for children. “It might be easy for someone making a teen or young adult show to say: This really only applies to younger kids. But we see from ages 15 to 24, young people still prefer nurturing, emotionally available men.”
Methodology and Impact of The Study
To gather these insights, CSS integrated specific questions into its annual 2025 Teens & Screens survey. The study surveyed 1,500 adolescents (ages 10–24) across the U.S., a range aligned with the National Academy of Sciences’ definition of adolescence.
This research continues the Center’s work in disrupting harmful gender tropes. Since releasing a foundational tip sheet for writers’ rooms in 2020, CSS has collaborated with organizations like the CAA Foundation and Equimundo: Center for Masculinities and Social Justice to release afoundational tip sheet for storytellers that has since moved from research labs into writers’ rooms, directly influencing television production.
A separate study by Equimundo, cited in the CSS report, shows that 64% of men feel that “no one cares.” This, coupled with the CSS findings, shows that stories about a father’s love or a mentor’s vulnerability could provide a blueprint for the next generation of on-screen heroes and viewers.
