TV is the New Social
As in TV always was Social, TV is not what it used to be, therefore TV is the New Black...
Here I am, caught red handed click baiting you into a long post that aims to show that our media sphere has not changed as much as we'd like to think, when the title suggests otherwise indeed. More on point, the changes we seem to see, dissect and build up appear on very narrow horizons. It it very trite to say that time has become faster and shorter, that new news comes too fast, that fashion trends are just fads, that we cannot take a beat between two beats. Very trite but very true too. And so it is with our understanding of our public sphere. We feel like "social media" was born with Facebook and Twitter in the late aughts. Or was it born with blogs in the late nineties? Or was it born with forums and bulletin board messages in the eighties? Or was it born before?
To answer that question first, before we ponder the latest short term cycle of change, let's go back to the teachings of Marshall McLuhan. Most of you have heard I'm sure his axiom "The medium is the message", suggesting that the form of a medium embeds itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship by which the medium influences how the message is perceived. There's a whole book thereon that actually goes a little deeper and further, "The Medium is the Massage" - make sure you read that right.
TV Always Was Social
McLuhan posits that media are extensions of human faculties — print extends the eye, the wheel extends the foot, electronic media extend the central nervous system, thereby altering ratios among our senses and changing our interactions with the environment. This concept is rooted in the understanding that technologies are not mere tools but are integral in shaping society's structure, patterns of social organization, and cultural practices. The book touches upon the transmission of information and how it is affected by the medium through which it is conveyed. McLuhan argues that the characteristics of each medium — be it print, radio, television, or others — necessarily dictate the nature of the information transmitted. For instance, print media fostered linear thinking and individualism, while electronic media promote involvement in global networks and a collective identity.
It is interesting to look at how TV fits within this structure of influence and control. What McLuhan said of TV, we say, mutatis mutandis, of "social media". TV, McLuhan says, has the power to shape public opinion, influence cultural norms, and create a shared experience on a scale that was previously unattainable. The communal aspect of television viewing contributed to a sense of collective identity and shared reality. It has been instrumental in the dissemination of cultural products, political messages, and social norms. Cognitively, television changes the way information is processed by the brain. The rapid succession of images and sounds can condition viewers to expect and even require a high level of stimulation, potentially affecting attention spans and the ability to concentrate on less dynamic forms of media like books or newspapers.
Social as Entertainment
Can we see how "social media" did not appear out of the blue icons of Facebook and Twitter? To be sure interactive features and user-community-led uses of "social media" apps make these very different from TV as a social medium. Yet, for all their differences, "social media" apps follow in the footsteps of TV, taking the communal and conversational dimensions several notches up. Furthermore it feels like "social media apps" have been rebranding themselves as "platforms". Albeit interactive still, the pervasive full vertical screen videos popularized by TikTok, and emulated by Instagram (Reels) and YouTube (Shorts), have turned smartphones into enhanced participatory TVs. TikTok goes so far as to brand itself an "entertainment platform" rather than a "social media" one.
I would argue that the "social" dimension has long been relegated to the background of vertical scrolling interfaces where "parasocial" relations - asymmetric relationships where one, the creator or the brand, lives in the near constant gaze of thousands or millions of others who don't have to disclose much about them, and who don't share intimacy with the object of their gaze - have become the norm, for better or worse. Social bonds still flourish online, but they are more likely to be found in text or chat based interfaces, on platforms like Reddit, Snapchat and Facebook (Friends & Groups), in Instagram Direct Messages or on WhatsApp.
TV as a Screen
TV is no longer TV as we understood it, it's a - digitally connected - screen. With "social platforms" being as much about entertainment as connections, the resurgence of "TV as a screen", enabled by connected TV (CTV) and streaming platforms, is redefining the landscape and bringing back some of those social and parasocial aspects thereto.

TV as an uber totalizing dominant media form, defining screen formats, content trends, programmation and conversations, is no more. At its peak in the early 1990s, in pre-commercial-internet times, TV captured close to 6 hours of viewing time on average each day. Even though this has decreased by several orders of magnitude, a closer look shows that Boomers and Gen X still spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV, and Gen Z more than 2 hours, putting this in the same space as major "social platforms".

Digging even deeper we notice that non-linear TV (streaming with the likes of Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV+, and on demand with YouTube TV) has become the leading way through which people "watch the TV screen", with close to 40% of market share. Not only do they aggregate audiences around a myriad forms of content and viewing experiences (short and long form, originals, binged, UGC, creator, back catalogues and reruns, etc.), these platforms are upping the ante and bidding for the biggest TV audience magnet out there: live sports and events (such as concerts). As Julia Alexander recently put it in Puck:
"It is, after all, the number one video rival to linear TV and the primary video player for kids, teens, and young adults. Now, with YouTube buying NFL rights, via Sunday Ticket, and making a play for cord-cutters with YouTube TV, it’s become a genuine streaming threat, too. In fact, by bundling free user-generated content, premium video channels, and a digital cable replacement, YouTube is setting itself up to be more powerful than a mere streaming service, but rather a platform upon which all of those other services sit—a veritable operating system for the streaming age.
Interestingly, the market also seems to be underappreciating that the same opportunity for Alphabet is also open to Amazon and Apple: All three are competing to dominate the streaming video ecosystem with hardware and operating systems built into TV sets that effectively replace the traditional distributors, ensuring that their platforms are the entry points for TV viewing globally. To paraphrase NBC’s late, great Heroes: control the living room, control the video market."
The Apple-Amazon-Google Streaming O.S. Mega War
TV is the "New Social"
As it could very much become a yet again central viewership device and audience aggregator, building on decades of creating shared experiences at scale, layering in everything that "social platforms" have become over the past 15 years, TV as a screen may very well become the "new social" - i.e. the cool device where innovation abounds. And as most new TV entrants are forced to reconsider advertising as a key monetization pillar, it is interesting to wonder what "TV Screen" advertising is going to look like in the near future.
Advertising strategies and formats have evolved. YouTube's ABCDs (Attention, Branding, Connection, and Direction) emphasize creating ads that are engaging, brand-centric, and emotionally resonant. TikTok's approach, encapsulated in the mantra "Don't make Ads. Make TikToks," focuses on creating content that is fun, engaging, and blends seamlessly with user-generated content. Google's "Messy Middle" concept illustrates the non-linear and complex nature of modern consumer decision-making, influenced by a myriad of online touchpoints and cognitive biases. Similarly, TikTok's "Infinite Loop" model represents a departure from the traditional marketing funnel, emphasizing a continuous engagement cycle where consumers can enter and exit at various stages, driven by hyper-relevant, personalized content. Chances are TV ads are going to be much more contextual or community anchored, such as the one that Google ran next to Max's The Sex Lives of College Girls a few months ago.
As we witness the transformation of TV from a broadcast medium to a multifaceted screen for streaming and social interaction, the implications for media, advertising, and consumer engagement are profound. The lines between television, streaming platforms, and social media are blurring, creating a new paradigm where content, commerce, and community intersect. In this landscape, understanding the nuances of connected TV, streaming strategies, and the evolving nature of social media advertising is crucial for brands and content creators alike.
This is interesting, Anthony, thanks. I find myself watching YouTube far more than anything else. There are endless choices and it's easy to navigate. And it's free, at least how I use it.