Total streaming engagement is up, but the demographics of streaming-exclusive viewers are getting more top-heavy. Here's why Hollywood needs to track the behavioral shifts behind streaming.
Streaming services are not being picked up by people under 34
(which is probably why Jack Manifold got that Netflix deal)
Netflix produced shows, in particular, is doing this, yes. I’m sure others too. Not all media is being produced that way. And even then, even if they’re handholding the viewer and diminishing the narrative quality as a result, it’s still something that takes more than 3 minutes of attention span to follow. And streaming older media is also an option, none of which was made that way. I’d argue you still get more out of watching an episode of Gilmore Girls for the 3rd time than 30 minutes of tiktok slop.
Have you been on tik tok? Cause what you get is what you interact with. Back when I had it (before the “ban” 🙄) I mostly got comedians, scientists, artists, and people encouraging me to clean my house. It was great for entertainment and for learning.
I have never had the app. Only things I’ve seen on it is shit family sends me directly. But it’s not just the content I’m critical of. It’s the form factor. The infinite scrolling short form videos. It’s certainly better if the content itself is good and valuable. But the model itself seems to breed shorter attention spans and makes people more distracted, and it’s more addictive/harder to disconnect.
I don’t mean streaming services are bereft of any decent content, a portion of their original stuff is good and a lot of their licensed stuff is good as well. I was just pointing out that just because it’s longer form, it doesn’t mean it’s automatically better than social media content.
Netflix produced shows, in particular, is doing this, yes. I’m sure others too. Not all media is being produced that way. And even then, even if they’re handholding the viewer and diminishing the narrative quality as a result, it’s still something that takes more than 3 minutes of attention span to follow. And streaming older media is also an option, none of which was made that way. I’d argue you still get more out of watching an episode of Gilmore Girls for the 3rd time than 30 minutes of tiktok slop.
Have you been on tik tok? Cause what you get is what you interact with. Back when I had it (before the “ban” 🙄) I mostly got comedians, scientists, artists, and people encouraging me to clean my house. It was great for entertainment and for learning.
I have never had the app. Only things I’ve seen on it is shit family sends me directly. But it’s not just the content I’m critical of. It’s the form factor. The infinite scrolling short form videos. It’s certainly better if the content itself is good and valuable. But the model itself seems to breed shorter attention spans and makes people more distracted, and it’s more addictive/harder to disconnect.
I don’t mean streaming services are bereft of any decent content, a portion of their original stuff is good and a lot of their licensed stuff is good as well. I was just pointing out that just because it’s longer form, it doesn’t mean it’s automatically better than social media content.
Better quality/entertainment? Not necessarily. Better for human brain health? Particularly young developing brains? Almost certainly, I’d bet.