While we have more entertainment content than ever, we share less collective experience. A teenager obsessed with niche anime on Crunchyroll has almost no overlapping media diet with a parent watching Yellowstone on Peacock. The "monoculture" is dead. In its place, we have algorithm-driven subcultures.
For decades, was defined by scarcity. In the 20th century, three major networks and a handful of cable channels dictated what America watched. If you missed the Seinfeld finale, you simply missed it. The "watercooler moment"—the shared cultural touchstone that everyone discussed at work the next morning—was the currency of entertainment.
Social media platforms have had a profound impact on the entertainment industry. Platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok have created new avenues for content creators to produce and distribute their own content. Influencers and vloggers have become celebrities in their own right, with millions of followers hanging on their every word.
The lines are blurring.