This has led to the "TikTokification" of all media. Even long-form journalism now includes pull quotes designed for Instagram. Movie trailers are cut to mimic viral trends. Music is engineered for the first 15 seconds to be looped. As we enter the mid-2020s, a cultural hangover is setting in. We are beginning to question the cost of infinite entertainment. Studies linking social media use to teen anxiety are piling up. The term "doomscrolling"—consuming a relentless stream of negative news and entertainment—has entered the lexicon.
Netflix’s Squid Game or HBO’s The Last of Us represent a rare breed: the "watercooler show." They are anomalies. The true heavyweights of the modern era are the niches on TikTok and YouTube. The real entertainment content isn't just a film or a song; it is a "cinematic universe," a "lore drop," a "breakdown video," or a "reaction stream." The.Voyeur.20.XXX
In the span of a single generation, entertainment content has undergone a metamorphosis. It is no longer merely the joke at the end of a news broadcast or the "dessert" after a long day of "vegetables." Today, popular media is the water in which we swim. It is the primary language of global culture, a driver of economic value, and, increasingly, the lens through which we understand ourselves and our neighbors. This has led to the "TikTokification" of all media
Simultaneously, the "authenticity" prized on platforms like TikTok has created a paradox. To be seen as real, one must perform spontaneity. The "get ready with me" video is just as scripted as a 1990s sitcom, but the production value is hidden behind a veil of casualness. Behind every viral dance and every binge-watched season lies a ruthless battle for attention. Entertainment is no longer a product you pay for; it is a weapon used to harvest your time and data. Music is engineered for the first 15 seconds to be looped
In the battle for your attention, the most radical act left may simply be to look away.
There is a growing, albeit quiet, counter-movement. Vinyl records are selling again. "Slow TV"—hours of unedited train journeys or fireplaces—is a niche refuge. Letterboxd (a social film diary) appeals not to the mass market, but to the cinephile who wants to watch with intention rather than algorithm.
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