Where do we go from here? Three trends will define the next decade of popular media:
For decades, movies were the king of entertainment content. Today, that crown is contested. The global video game market is larger than the film and music industries combined. Games like Fortnite and Roblox are not just games; they are social metaverses where people hang out, watch virtual concerts (Travis Scott drew 27 million viewers), and co-create content.
Popular media now includes interactive storytelling. Titles like The Last of Us (which transitioned to a hit HBO show) and Baldur’s Gate 3 offer narrative depth that rivals prestige television. The lines are blurring. Actors now campaign for Emmy nominations for performances captured via motion capture in video games. BBCSurprise.23.06.24.Melanie.Marie.XXX.720p.HEV...
The most significant change in the last decade is the replacement of human editors with algorithmic feeds. On platforms like Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube, what becomes popular is rarely decided by quality alone; it is decided by data.
Entertainment content is now engineered for "retention." Screenwriters and producers use data analytics to determine plot twists. Netflix reportedly uses metadata tags (like "slow burn" or "strong female lead") to greenlight shows based on what similar demographics have finished watching. This is science fiction becoming business reality. Where do we go from here
But there is a downside: the homogenization of risk. Because algorithms reward the familiar, platforms lean into derivative sequels, reboots, and formulaic reality TV. Meanwhile, truly avant-garde popular media struggles to find oxygen. The term "content" itself hints at this industrialization. Calling a movie "content" feels reductive, yet it reflects how the industry views its product: as fuel for an engagement engine.
We are living through a golden age of craft and a dark age of attention. Never have actors been more skilled, special effects more seamless, or sound design more immersive. And never have we been more distracted. The very device that delivers 4K HDR cinema also delivers a text message from a coworker and a breaking news alert about a war. The "Three Movies" Game:
Entertainment content has responded by becoming louder, faster, and more absurd. It must scream to be heard over the noise of the rest of the content. This is the "Maximum Effort" era. Dialogue is mixed to be explosive. Plot twists must be unguessable. Nostalgia must be weaponized. The result is a kind of aesthetic fatigue. We are exhausted by the very thing designed to rest us.
The fundamental currency of entertainment content is no longer dollars; it is attention. Advertisers follow eyeballs. This has led to the "Great Reshuffling."