Is TV's Golden Age (Officially) Over? A Statistical Analysis

The biggest effect of all of this is the decoupling of the release of content with it's entering the public consciousness. As a kid, you watched the show that week at that time so you could talk about it and be in the loop the following day. If you went to school or your office and said "Don't tell me, I haven't seen it yet!" people would treat you like a social leper. In fact, many 90s and 00s sitcoms feature storylines where characters made fools of themselves trying to avoid spoilers.

Today, many viewers don't even start watching a show until it's fully over and hasn't been cut short on a cliffhanger cancellation. And that's good for viewers, because it gives us the freedom to be picky. But it's bad for in-person social interactions, because I can't talk to you about my favorite show because we aren't in the same temporal condition in relation to it. You just started, and I'm like hoooboy wait until it gets going.

But that social interaction also helps draw in viewers. "Did you see that show last night? You should be watching it. Get caught up before next Thursday so we can talk about the finale in two weeks!"

We barely have water coolers anymore, and the kids are more into short-form and livestreaming content. You don't even need to watch, you can just catch up on the latest talking points from twitter.

Online forums exist, but the anonymous keyboard warrior you're talking with could be some psychotic misogynist who hates puppies, and you have nothing in common. Of course your tastes would be different.