In an episode of 'GMA' host Robin Roberts celebrates 'Dogust First': August 1 designated as official birthday for shelter and rescue dogs

When it comes to sex and romance TV and film, Gen Z has had enough of it, according to new research. The ‘Teens and Screens’ study from UCLA collected responses from 1,500 Zoomers aged between 10-24 who believe there is too much of a focus on romantic relationships - 47.5 per cent to be exact. In fact, over half (51.5 per cent) of those surveyed said that they would like to see more platonic relationships being depicted on screen. Meanwhile, many (39 per cent) would like to see asexual relationships being represented in media. “We know that young people are suffering an epidemic of loneliness and they’re seeking modeling in the art they consume," Dr. Yalda T. Uhls, founder and director of CSS and co-author of the study said. "While some storytellers use sex and romance as a shortcut to character connection, it’s important for Hollywood to recognize that adolescents want stories that reflect the full spectrum of relationships." Uhls also referenced the fact that young people nowadays are having less sex than their parents did at their age. Stephanie Rivas-Lara, CSS youth engagement manager and a first author on the study (and a fellow Zoomer) provided some context as to why her generation are seeking friendship over romance in their entertainment. “As a member of gen Z myself, I wasn’t surprised by some of what we’re seeing this year,” Rivas-Lara told IndieWire. “There has been a wide-ranging discourse among young people about the meaning of community in the aftermath of Covid and the isolation that came with it. She added: "Adolescents are looking to media as a ‘third place’ where they can connect and have a sense of belonging – and with frightening headlines about climate change, pandemics and global destabilization, it makes sense they are gravitating towards what’s most familiar in those spaces.” Meanwhile in the battle between old and new, 56 per cent of respondents said they prefer original content over franchises, remakes or adaptations. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Shannon Sharpe is leaving "Undisputed" and co-host Skip Bayless.

Robert Downey Jr. hasn't always been an "Iron Man."

Rubius has not yet released a statement on facing suspension

Kim Petras has made history by becoming the second transgender woman to model on the cover of Sports Illustrated. As part of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit's annual issue, the popstar was picked as one of the four cover stars including Megan Fox, Brooks Nader and Martha Stewart. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter In her cover photo which was shot by Yu Tsai in Los Angeles, Petras wore a gold bikini as she stood in a pool and had her armed posed above her head. The Grammy Award winner is the second transgender woman cover star, with actress Leyna Bloom being the first to grace the cover back in July 2021. "It’s very iconic, and a lot of very iconic people have done it before, so [it was a] big dream come true for me," Petras told the publication. Fans of Petras flocked to her post and congratulated her on this achievement. One person wrote: "So so proud of you Kim this is iconic @kimpetras KEEP BUSTING DOWN THEM DOORS" "Beautiful!!! Congrats!!!! I wish you the best and many more of these," another person said. Someone else added: "And the photo credits being colored as the trans flag? Iconic. @sportsillustrated really focusing all in those details. Congrats, mama!!!" The 30-year-old German singer also acknowledged what it means to be part of the transgender community amid a wave of anti-trans laws being introduced in states and the pressure she feels to represent it in an interview with the magazine. "It’s definitely a scary time to be transgender in America, but there’s also so much more representation than there’s ever been, and there’s so many things on the bright side," she added. “I do feel a pressure sometimes to represent the trans community with everything I do because I feel very blessed that I am at this point where I have all these amazing opportunities that I’ve worked really hard for and feel so happy when I hear from trans people in general that they’re inspired by me.” Though she also noted that everything she does is "definitely not about being transgender." “I always try to remember that everything I do is definitely not about being transgender. It’s a part of me, but there are so many other parts of me. And I think that’s really important for me to show that to people,” she said. “No matter what your gender or sexuality or any of that stuff is, it’s about what you make of life and it’s about what’s inside of you, so I hope that can be inspiring to people.” It's not the first time Petras has made history, as she became the first trans woman to win Grammy for Best Pop Duo for her collaboration with Sam Smith on the hit song 'Unholy.' Petras's new highly-anticipated major label debut album, Feed the Beast is out on June 23. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

NASA says it has heard from its Voyager 2 spacecraft after a wrong command cut off communications

Penelope Spheeris refused to make cuts that would make 'Wayne's World' suffer

During a 24-hour livestream featuring Offset and Kai Cenat, the Twitch streamer expressed interest in speaking with Cardi B's sister Hennessy

Harry Jowsey gifted a $14,000 bracelet to his 'DWTS' partner Rylee Arnold during their Thanksgiving celebration, fueling speculation about their relationship

MrBeast posted a screenshot of a chat in which he was invited to join the team going to view the Titanic wreckage

*NSYNC hasn't completely said "bye bye bye" to making more music together.