We are reaching the ceiling of human attention. There are only 24 hours in a day. With an infinite supply of entertainment content vying for a finite supply of attention, the value of focus is skyrocketing.
Perhaps the most revolutionary change in entertainment content and popular media is the destruction of the "Producer vs. Consumer" hierarchy.
In 1990, you watched Michael Jordan play basketball because you could not. In 2024, you watch a high schooler from Ohio cook a gourmet meal because you could do it, but he does it with better lighting. FamilyTherapyXXX.23.09.11.Molly.Little.The.Secr...
The term "Prosumer" (Professional + Consumer) now dominates the landscape. The barrier to entry for content creation is a smartphone and a lamp ring.
This has led to a massive shift in cultural capital. A YouTuber with 3 million subscribers is as influential as a legacy journalist. A TikTok dancer is as famous as a movie star to Gen Z. This "democratization of fame" has positive outcomes (more diverse voices, niche interests served) and negative ones (misinformation, the erosion of expertise). We are reaching the ceiling of human attention
In the digital age, the definition of a review has split into two distinct categories. Understanding which one you are reading (or writing) is the first step:
A truly useful review often sits in the middle: it respects the art but acknowledges the audience's need for engagement. A truly useful review often sits in the
We must discuss the audience. We are no longer "viewers." We are fandoms.
In an increasingly fractured, lonely, and polarized political world, engagement with entertainment content has become the primary source of social identity. Ask a teenager: "Who are you?" They won't answer with their hometown or their religion. They will answer with their fandom: "I'm an ARMY" (BTS), "I'm a Swiftie" (Taylor Swift), or "I'm a Potterhead."
Popular media has become a substitute for civic religion.
This is powerful, but it is also dangerous. When a piece of entertainment content (a movie, a song, a game) becomes integral to one's self-worth, criticism of that content is felt as a personal attack. This leads to toxic fandom, review bombing, and harassment of creators.