We are delighted to share that the study ‘GEN IRL – Behind the filter: the real cost of choices made by 18–30-year-olds’, carried out jointly by OpinionWay, Reworld Media and Melty, has won two awards at the French 2026 Adwanted Research Awards!
Every year, this event recognises the most innovative studies, methodologies and research initiatives in the communications, media, marketing and insights sectors. It honours initiatives that advance our understanding of audiences, behaviours and the challenges facing brands and media as they undergo transformation.
The project received the Gold Trophy in the ‘Media & Audience’ category as well as the Jury’s Special Mention, an accolade that recognises the originality of its methodological approach and the wealth of insights it provides on young adults.
Building on an observation shared by the teams at Melty and Reworld Media – namely, the growing disconnect between traditional perceptions of the 18–30 age group and the reality observed on the ground – the GEN IRL study set out to go beyond conventional self-reported approaches.
To understand what truly drives behaviour, 1,004 young adults were presented with 30 forced-choice dilemmas inspired by the famous ‘Would you rather?’ game. Each decision was then analysed according to three novel dimensions: its emotional cost, its identity cost and its social cost.
This approach revealed a more nuanced reality than the usual generational stereotypes. The study shows that young adults are not plagued by constant contradictions, but rather that they are constantly weighing up, balancing and prioritising their choices within a particularly constrained economic, social and personal environment.
Beyond the insights generated, this double award also recognises the exemplary collaboration between melty’s editorial and community expertise, Reworld Media’s audience insights and OpinionWay’s methodological know-how.
We would like to extend our warmest thanks to the organisers of the Adwanted Research Awards and the members of the judging panel for this recognition. It encourages us to continue developing innovative research methods that enable us to better understand the changing behaviours and expectations of the younger generations.
Want to find out more? Contact our expert Jean-Baptiste Leroux!
