For a brief period, "Peak TV" reigned supreme. Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Max, and Apple TV+ spent billions convincing consumers that scripted series were the pinnacle of culture. However, the current reality is a contraction. Studios are gutting completed films for tax write-offs. Series are canceled after one season. The "golden age" has given way to a utilitarian view of video: why spend $200 million on a drama when a two-hour documentary about a cult leader gets the same number of views?
Almost no one watches "just" a movie anymore. We watch the movie on the TV while scrolling Twitter on our phone. We listen to a podcast while playing a mobile game. This "divided attention" means that popular media is now designed to be passable . Background noise. This is why dialogue in modern blockbusters is exposition-heavy (so you can look up from your phone and still follow the plot) and why YouTube videos have loud, repetitive sound effects.
Making Wise Entertainment Choices: How to Use a Plugged In Review
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It is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.67% , potentially reaching $6,165.06 billion by 2035 .