Today, that definition is obsolete. Entertainment content now encompasses user-generated YouTube essays, Spotify podcasts, Netflix series, interactive video games, and even the ephemeral stories on Instagram. Popular media is no longer just popular because it is widely liked; it is popular because it is widely participated in .
The technology behind The Mandalorian —massive LED screens that render backgrounds in real-time—is democratizing. Soon, a high school film student will be able to shoot a movie that looks like it was filmed on Mars, without leaving the auditorium.
Satirical shows like The Daily Show or Last Week Tonight have functionally replaced local news for millions of young people. While this increases engagement with politics, it also creates a generation that views news through a comedic or dramatic lens.