My Criticism On
Modern Video Format Media

(and mainly social media)

As we move deeper into the 2020's, i feel like the past era of good big screen storytelling has become a distant memory already. Today's media, dominated by streaming services and big-budget franchises, fails in comparison to the depth and originality that older shows and films offered. Whether it's the diluted quality of scripts, the lack of love by it's creators or the heavy-handed cultural influence, something has been lost in modern entertainment. This isn't just nostalgia talking—there are clear reasons why many believe that today's movies and TV series lack the heart and creativity that used to define the industry. 

I'm going to address some of my concerns through this blog as we had entered one of the many waves of history where cinema has lacked.

Storytelling

Good storytellers have always existed, lost in their thoughts for hours, creating stories from boredom, strong emotions, or personal experiences. Their art was fueled by life itself—by what was new, raw, and authentic. I consider myself creative, but with personal experience I’ve also noticed something that is steadily undermining storytelling: social media.

With the rise of social media, we’ve become interconnected like trees sharing the same roots, with the internet as our foundation. While this connectedness offers many advantages, it also comes at a cost. We're constantly plugged in, using the internet as a quick fix for any discomfort or boredom. But by doing so, we deprive ourselves of the quiet moments that once sparked creativity.

Social media is killing your creativity - Sandra Muller

Influence: 

With social media, people have grown more sensitive to harsh realities that once , and still, challenge everyone. We now live in personalized bubbles, protected by our screens, which makes it easier to avoid uncomfortable truths. But this avoidance comes at a cost—both when it comes to step in to real life and when it comes to storytelling. Crafting well-rounded characters with flaws, who embody life's uncomfortable moments, has become more difficult. Those characters and stories serve to demonstrate a message, and no message can be shared if we deny our reality.

Not everyone in life is a good person, and media has an opportunity to reflect this complexity on screen. Yet, today, characters who are deemed too evil or problematic are often unwelcomed. Even Villains! Some people believe that there is always a reason for evil, when in most cases it is not black or white. Some people have reason while others don't. Additionally, they are often the stereotypical white male, which they can be of course, but they could be much more than a stereotype. This is a huge loss for modern storytelling. True diversity goes beyond skin color—it encompasses ideologies, personalities, and moralities. No one is purely good or purely bad, and every person has a perspective that explains why they believe they're right. But social media often makes us too comfortable, stripping away the intensity that makes characters relatable on a deeper level, beyond their external identity. Being uncomfortable is something most people avoid at all costs now. 

"Real diversity is not just racial/ethnic, gender, and sexual difference. It is a multiplicity of viewpoints, backgrounds, experiences, tribulations, values, and classes. To a certain extent, these details are more important than race or gender alone."
Diversity Is More Than Skin Deep - Riad Kherdeen

People being uncomfortable with true diversity or ugly concepts are not the only issue. Public opinion today feels homogenized—everything is either black or white, with no room for nuance. Expressing an opposing view can quickly turn into accusations of being an "-ist" or "-phobe," even when the critique has nothing to do with the identity of the character. We're locking ourselves in a bubble of utopian ideals. But any fan of dystopian fiction knows that utopias are just pretty, hidden, dystopias. Calling any criticism "hate" leads creators to be complacent, with the bar for quality set far too low. Balance is key. Criticism, when constructive, is essential to growth—and I say this as an artist.

The Never Ending Story (no, really):

It's frustrating to see the constant cycle of remakes and sequels al over big box productions. When new stories aren't retreads of the past, they're often seen as risk, and prefer to keep with franchises tat worked in the past maximize profits. This isn't the first time we've faced a creative lack like this one—phases come and go, and eventually, we’ll see a return to originality.

Have you ever read the "never ending story"? Weather you did or not, Imagine this: 

You live in a world without social media. You're full of motivation and dreams, and you decide to be the first person to climb the world's tallest mountain. Nobody reached it before and it's seen as an immense risk. But you don't care, as long as you're alive you will try to break that record. To be the new thing.. After years of training, you finally embark on the journey. It’s grueling, you get sick, tired, but you persist. Eventually, you reach the top of that mountain and plant your flag. You're the first! Your story becomes legendary. Everybody talks about it.

But over time, your story dies along with you.

Years later, someone else follows in your footsteps. They too want to climb the tallest mountain, and after great effort, they make it. They plant their own flag, as yours is long gone. They too, in their world, becam the first one to climb that mountain. Everybody forgot you. Does their achievement hold any less value because they weren’t the first? Were you even the first one to climb the mountain in the first place?

Now, with the internet and methods of preserving a complete record of everything, creativity is stifled. Almost every story has already been told, every mountain already climbed. The problem isn't that we've run out of stories, but that we’ve lost the joy of rediscovering them.

Hope in indie or alternative storytelling, a final note. 

Here's a fun list of movies of the recent times and shows I thought were excellent; ( Of course, most will be dystopian as I am biased.. not a journalist. )

28 Days Later, 2002 ‧ Post Apocalyptic Horror.

HouseMD, 2004 ‧ Medical Drama

2 Broke Girls, 2011 ‧ Comedic Sitcom 

Soylent Green, 1973 ‧ Dystopian Sci-fi/Thriller

Patema Inverted, 2013 ‧ Anime Dystopian Sci-fi

Lilo and Stitch, 2002 ‧ Family/Comedy

WALL-E, 2008 ‧ Family/Sci-fi 

Blade Runner, 1982 ‧ Dystopian Sci-fi/Action

Note that these are just an incredibly small portion of them that I think would please those interested in this topic of media excellence but that as yet to come back to the times. They are picked for their recent dates.

Thank you for reading this,

feel free to comment,

xoxo, 

Dystopic_Heaven.