Anyone who chooses to watch a vintage TV series from the 70s or even the 80s will be struck by one aspect above all others – just how slow and uninvolving it is. That’s because, without even realising it, we’re now used to what might be called hyper-entertainment. The pacing is fast, the stakes are high and the tension can be off the scale.
Another feature is that entertainment has been gradually changing from a passive activity to one that’s very much interactive. What’s more this change has also started to appear in other spheres and media formats in response to audience preferences. This helps explain the growing appeal of formats built on immediacy, unpredictability and participation.
Audiences no longer want simply to observe a story unfold; they want to feel involved in it, to react in real time and to experience the emotional peaks for themselves. In that context, it is hardly surprising that digital entertainment borrowing the language of suspense, competition and instant reward has found an audience. From cliffhanger-led box sets to live-streamed moments of jeopardy, contemporary culture increasingly rewards experiences that are immersive, fast-moving and emotionally charged, blurring the line between watching entertainment and actively stepping inside it.
Genres that are leading the way
One look at the schedules on traditional broadcast media paints a broader picture of the sorts of shows that are particularly big right now. As well as true crime documentaries and psychological thrillers like the Netflix series Ripley there’s an increasing appetite for high stakes competitions and survival reality shows, whether real or staged like the insanely popular Squid Game.
But what all these have in common is a sense of uncertainty about what could be coming next, a cranking up of emotional tension and the momentum to encourage viewers to watch the next episode.
Streamers lead the way
It’s widely recognised that we have the big streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime to thank for these developments. They have done this stealthily, gradually conditioning viewers to expect faster pacing and higher levels of anticipation. Some of this has been down to counteracting the now infamous second screening. The streamers have learnt that if they want viewers’ undivided attention there had better be something worth concentrating on.
Luckily, those viewers are becoming more receptive to interactive formats and increasingly find them rewarding too.
What’s coming next?
As already mentioned, uncertainty about where a story might be headed is a central facet of building this attention-grabbing atmosphere. Some people like to try to speculate what twists and turn may be around the corner, others are happy to sit back and be surprised. But, as psychologists have long-recognised unpredictability is in our nature so seeing it on screen satisfies us on a number of levels. These range from providing emotional high and low points to creating an atmosphere of expectation and reward – and in all cases it results in a definite release of tension.
The online casino effect
By a process of entertainment osmosis, many of these features can also be found in another phenomenon of the modern entertainment environment – the online casino. And perhaps many of them were there already. After all, there’s the in-built tension deriving from the anticipation of whether it will be a winning card or spin of the wheel – a tension that is resolved almost as soon as it’s set up.
And there’s more choice than ever before – so a more comprehensive guide is needed more than ever. Luckily, services have emerged that provide an overview. Review sites like Casino.us highlights the broad selection of online casino in the US, more than simply listings, these take an overall view of each individual operator to help players navigate an increasingly complex entertainment ecosystem. They also provide an in-depth analysis of the individual casinos themselves.
Of course, with this increased choice, particularly in the online casino sector, there has also arisen a need for greater scrutiny such as that provided by the National Council on Problem Gambling. By assisting with everything from imposing time limits and spending controls it is helping to foster a responsible and healthy digital environment for players across the US.
Looking to the future
As we move forward we can inevitably expect even more interaction to be included in all forms of entertainment. Much of this will be driven by AI creating personalized experiences as well as the increasing convergence of streaming and gaming. With audiences now conditioned to expect, and even demand, a richer, higher-intensity range of experiences both the streamers and the online casino operators are perfectly placed to provide this.
So there are exciting times ahead, the like of which many of us have never fully experienced before.