// media consumption

All signals tagged with this topic

Oct 18

Screen Time Has Gotten 39% Cheaper Since 2000

The economics of attention have inverted. Cheaper screens don't mean consumers get better deals—they mean the pricing mechanism that once constrained consumption has evaporated. When the product is free or subsidized by advertising and data extraction, "demand" becomes a hollow metric. The consumer story is about how quality-adjusted pricing breakdowns expose the inadequacy of traditional demand curves in markets where the customer isn't buying a product. They're becoming one.

theme-consumer attention economy generational shifts media consumption

Sep 22

Reading for pleasure hits historic low among Americans

Source: Danielpink

With only one in six Americans reading for pleasure daily, recreational reading is collapsing. Leisure time is shifting toward passive consumption and fragmented attention. Reading has historically been how consumers develop sustained focus and process complex ideas. Younger cohorts now form opinions and engage with cultural products through different mechanisms. Publishers, education platforms, and advertisers relying on deep engagement face stiffer competition in an attention-scarce ecosystem.

theme-consumer attention economy generational shifts media consumption

Sep 6

CD sales surge as Gen Z embraces physical music formats

Source: The Verge

After two decades of decline, CD shipments grew 1.9% in 2023 and revenues hit $1.1 billion, driven by younger consumers treating them as collectible objects and superior audio quality. The growth reflects a consumer shift away from algorithmic playlists and subscription fatigue toward tangible ownership, curated listening experiences, and the tactile ritual of physical media. For music labels and artists, the resurgence offers a higher-margin revenue channel and a way to differentiate fan engagement beyond streaming payouts, particularly in niche communities where the album format remains culturally intact.