Manu Joseph: How entertainment got boring in the age of streaming

A few weeks ago, I read a headline in The Guardian : “Is Netflix deliberately dumbing down TV so people can watch while scrolling?" But no one disputes that people scroll while watching something and that they are generally bored with both typical streaming fare and what they are scrolling through. Now and then, they do find something fascinating to watch, but even that rare spark usually fades after the first episode or so, and then it’s all downhill. Why is it that the entire world is desperate to waste time, and entire companies have sprung up to help them, spending billions, and yet people say they are bored with streaming platforms? But here were people who value their time so much that they need illegal migrants to do a lot of tasks, waiting patiently for over 30 minutes to watch lights go on.