The internet shattered this model. First came file-sharing (Napster, LimeWire), then the rise of user-generated content (YouTube, 2005), and finally, the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) revolution kicked off by Netflix’s streaming service in 2007. Suddenly, the "long tail" of content became profitable. Shows about Brazilian carwashes or Norwegian slow-TV trains found audiences. The "watercooler moment"—a single show everyone watched the night before—became increasingly rare, replaced by thousands of micro-communities.
The danger of the current system is that it prioritizes "engagement" over "impact." It is better for Netflix if you vaguely enjoy a show and immediately start another one than if you love a show so much you sit in silence for an hour reflecting on it (because during that silence, you are not watching ads or generating data). EvilAngel.24.07.18.Megan.Inky.And.Eden.Ivy.XXX....
To understand where we are, we must look back. In the 20th century, popular media acted as a "cultural water cooler." Whether it was the finale of M A S H*, the thriller trial of O.J. Simpson, or the Thursday night lineup on NBC, the nation (and often the world) watched the same thing at the same time. This monoculture gave us shared references, inside jokes, and a collective rhythm. The internet shattered this model