Opinion: Gen Z is Increasingly Interested in Dumbphones and Vinyl Records. Broadcast TV Should Create Interest Too.

By Dylan Ross • February 5, 2026

OTA broadcast TV and TV antennas could easily make a meaningful comeback, led by a cohort of Gen Z.

Current trends with Gen Z

First, Generation Z or "Gen Z" is typically defined as individuals born between 1997 and 2012, and are typically described as the first "digital native" generation. As a member of Gen Z myself (being born in 2004), I wouldn't say that I'm a stereotypical example of my generation. For the last 7 years, I've consistently watched movies and TV shows from Blu-rays and 4K UHD Blu-rays, listened to new music releases on my Plex server from songs bought on iTunes and ripped from CDs, and watched live TV from TV antennas. To this day, I've never installed the TikTok app or the Netflix app on any of my devices, I don't pay for any streaming services, and I've never used any of those "Buy now, pay later" services like Klarna or Afterpay for my Taco Bell burrito (Gen Z has a food delivery addiction)! Suffice it to say, I am in an extreme minority niche of 20-something-year-olds. However, there is an interesting trend. Gen Z in meaningful numbers is starting to go against a stereotypical digital life for privacy, ownership, sustainability, and algorithm-induced addiction concerns. You'll see keywords online such as "digital detox" or "digital minimalism" describing this phenomenon.

Dumbphones

According to a study from Morning Consult conducted between June 27–29, 2024, 28% of Gen Z adults say they’re interested in acquiring a dumbphone, and 16% say they currently own a dumbphone. This isn't a seismic shift in technology habits by Gen Z, but it does show a meaningful portion of Gen Z is interested in using dumbphones.

Physical Media

According to the RIAA, vinyl record sales rose for the 18th straight year in the US to $1.4 billion, along with accounting for 3/4 of physical music purchases in 2024. Taylor Corporation, a commercial printing conglomerate that makes vinyl record packaging, describes this as "...driven largely by Gen Z’s interest in analog experiences, aesthetic appeal and artist support" (Source: taylor.com). Additionally, Arizona's ABC affiliate published an article discussing how Gen Z is causing vinyl record sales to increase. Although I'm not a vinyl person myself, I'm happy to see physical media sales increasing regardless of format. I'd rather have a 44.1 KHz/16-bit lossless copy of a song that I know I physically own on a shelf while being able to stream a ripped copy on my devices. To me this is the perfect blend of ownership and streaming convenience. You can see my video about ripping CDs here.

Broadcast TV

Receiving live TV with an antenna fits this "digital detox" or "digital minimalism" trend very well. However, when researching for this article, I couldn't find any sources stating the adoption rate of Gen Z using a TV antenna, specifically. One can assume this is due to very low OTA TV adoption among Gen Z. Given that there is an insane amount of sports content from the NBA, WNBA, College Football, NFL, Olympics, and much more available on broadcast TV in 2026, along with reality shows popular with Gen Z like CBS' Survivor or ABC's The Bachelor, I don't believe low Gen Z viewership is due to a lack of desired content. I believe there is generally a lack of awareness among Gen Z.

Broadcast TV is a Perfect Match For a Digital Detox

Gen Z in meaningful numbers is starting to go against a stereotypical digital life for privacy, ownership, sustainability, and algorithm-induced addiction concerns. Receiving TV broadcasts with an antenna is incredibly fitting with this sentiment. Broadcast TV when used without an uplink connection is extremely privacy conscious, you can legally record and save OTA TV programming with DVRs (preserving a sense of ownership), broadcast is extremely good for the environment compared to streaming TV, and broadcast is free of personalized addicting algorithms. Additionally, just like vinyl records, TV antennas are tactile, physical objects that can contribute to the look and vibe of a space.

What The Broadcast Industry Can Do

More focus should be put on making Gen Z adults aware of broadcast TV and TV antennas, given a proven interest in "digital detox" and "digital minimalism" lifestyles. Additionally, further ATSC 3.0 deployments with channels sent in robust PLPs would make reception very easy. If large social media influencers were given the opportunity to talk about connecting an antenna to their TV or gateway like HDHomeRun or Tablo, show that it "just works", and showcase the great live content they're getting for free, I'm sure it would take off.

All of this is possible with action from the broadcast industry.

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