The golden age of TV is over”, is a statement that you might have come across many times. Other times, people will tell you the dusk of TV is here. Do you believe it? Well, the numbers seem to agree and most of the tech analysts as well. According to the experts in the entrainment industry, the idiot box lost its power the minute it turned into a smart TV. This might come off as a very strong allegation but the entrainment industry has changed, thanks to social media and Gen Z.
In the world of Gen Z, online content streaming is the only way of entertainment, cancel culture is the only way of solving problematic behaviors and political correctness is the only acceptable way. Where most people have highlighted the toxic Gen Z behaviors that are directly affecting the entrainment industry, others are thinking that the entertainment industry is the enabler for these Gen Z behaviors. Since the audience is no longer required to wait, they have come to terms with instant gratification behaviors. This generation is becoming silent quitters, canceling people they do not like left and right.
Just a few years ago, when traditional cable TV was the only way to go, the audience had less control over the entertainment means. Everything was much more controlled but now even cable TV companies offer a wide variety of channels to choose from. Big brands like Optimum TV are also offering free access to the content library so you can stream on-demand titles. Moreover, you will also get some in-built content streaming sites, so the viewer gets full control of their entrainment.
With the help of this article, we will see how evolving relationship of the entertainment industry and the audience.
Why Gen Z Is A Different Audience Altogether?
Gen Z was raised in a completely different environment. This is a generation raised in the world of tech, smartphones, smart houses, smart cars, social media, and endless scrolling. They want more control, a platform to voice their entrainment, and instant gratification. There is no doubt that it can be a little inconvenient at times, pushing them into echo chambers where they only get to meet people who share similar interests and no contradiction whatsoever.
However, experts believe that these behaviors also come with a silver lining of having full control of every possible situation. From addressing complex and taboo topics like mental health and sexuality to culture and political neutralization, this generation is addressing everything. Gen Z is the only generation that is vocal about climate change. They are actively seeking ways to reduce the impact on an individual level.
Toxic Gen Z Behaviors That Come From Entertainment Evolution
Now, we know Gen Z has some toxic behaviors mainly because most of us have seen a sudden shift in viewership choices and overall customer ship. Some say that Gen Z has a “Karen energy”, where they cannot seem to stop complaining. However, others say that they want conformity to an extent that it is toxic.
Let’s put it this way, Everyone in Gen Z wants to hear but they don’t want to listen. So, when you look at the entertainment industry you will see the characters with a rebellious mindset. A surprising idea is that Gen Z wants to feel included regardless of where they exist, their culture, history, and behaviors. So, now almost every TV series and movie has a black character, a gay character, an Asian character, and a strong independent woman. Most of the time, these characters are used as fillers with no connection to the story of the main lead. This strategy is used just to pacify the audience and reduce the chance of getting canceled. Content streaming sites are filled with content that has filler scenes and filler characters just for the sake of pacifying people.
Good Things That Gen Z Has Learned From the Entertainment Industry
Not everything is gloomy and depressing, some of the Gen Z features are good so this gives us hope for the future as well. One of the most important things that Gen Z is praised for is the decision to dissociate themselves from uncomfortable situations be it toxic work culture, toxic relationships, or just toxic friendships.
Apart from this, in the case of Gen Z, there is room for every opinion and every decision. You will hardly find anyone questioning your decision about life, gender or sexuality. Their acceptability and tolerance level is much better than others. Moreover, they have the superpower of “minding their own business”. You will hardly see anyone from Gen Z, devilling deep into your family situation, love life, or anything that can cause an uncomfortable situation.
Is Gen Z Going To Improve the Entertainment Industry?
If you are focusing on the technology in entrainment industry, the answer is yes. You will soon see the impact of AI in the entertainment industry, better technology, and better picture quality with crisp voice quality. The smart TV that you see today will become accessible for all and people will invest in more sophisticated entrainment gadgets, especially VR and AR gear.
On the contrary, if you think creators and viewers will be happy with the story and content topics. Well, we have bad news, the answer is NO. The political correctness and making everyone feel included with ambiguous racial casting will soon kill the creativity of the content creators.
Production companies and writers are already complaining about being in a tight spot and fearing cancellation with every episode of every project. The situation might become worse as time passes because Gen Z can get into detective mode on personal opinions shared on social media. This has happened before with big names and chances are that it will continue to happen.
Bottom Line
To sum it all up, in terms of technology entertainment in the era of Gen Z is more fun. However, for the sake of content and storytelling, Gen Z needs to fix some behavioral issues.