Abstract
The paper explores how people in their 20s today feel about television—the presence of and the closeness to or distance from it—based on multiple public opinion surveys on media usage. Approximately 30% of those in their 20s do not watch television in real time, not even once a week. Moreover, even among those who do watch television in real time, the proportions of those watching television every day and those spending a long time watching television are declining. Meanwhile, time-shifting viewers, who watch recorded TV content, and those who view content or use services provided by broadcasters on the internet are not increasing, which indicates people in their 20s are in effect moving away from TV content. During evening and night time slots, while real-time TV viewers are decreasing, those in their 20s actively engage in media activities such as social media, videos, and games on their smartphones. A questionnaire aimed at people in their 20s who watch TV content on the internet shows that they use internet video streaming when they “missed a TV program that they had wanted to watch,” “want to watch a TV program after its broadcast,” and “want to watch content not aired on TV.
