The old guard of the entertainment industry has been thoroughly dismantled over the past couple of decades, leaving young adults in a uniquely freeing position to discover and consume content on their own terms. And while digital distribution has broken down the hierarchies of the past and democratized access to media distribution platforms, there are still regional differences in how the latest and greatest experiences get found and proliferated.
Los Angeles and Canada pose an interesting comparative case study in this context, with people in their teens and early 20s drawing on the specific cultural and social trends of their home turf. It’s not a complete dichotomy, but there are some key differences, so here’s a brief look at how digital entertainment discovery occurs in the sun of California and the cold of Calgary.
Influencers vs. Communities
LA has long been the heart of global entertainment, and that’s still true today, hence why some of the world’s biggest creators and influencers call it home. As such, young adults in this city can discover new music, independent films, and digital series because a creator they trust from an LA-based collective has organically integrated them into their daily vlogs or podcasts.
On the flip side, Canada is home to highly engaged online communities, spread across major urban centers like Toronto and Montreal, that converge on platforms like Reddit and Discord to discuss and share digital entertainment of all types. It’s how someone might find blackjack online by clicking here and get recommendations for which Japanese anime series to watch next, once they’ve done binging Baki Hanma and Record of Ragnarok on Netflix. In other words, word-of-mouth recommendations don’t always stem from established influencers.
Social Media vs. Gaming
How entertainment gets discovered in LA usually comes down to the amount of exposure it gets on social media, as mentioned. A snippet of a show or an unreleased song goes viral on TikTok or Instagram Reels, and the audience then migrates to Spotify or Netflix to consume the full product. The discovery happens via short-form, bite-sized vertical video.
Canada’s young adults have a closer affinity to gaming as a source of recommendations and inspiration, in part because the country has a huge gaming industry and widespread uptake among younger generations, and they often discover new digital entertainment, whether it’s music, virtual clothing, or movies, inside interactive platforms like Roblox and Fortnite, or via Twitch streams. Canadian digital-native stars and gamers introduce their audiences to new media while actively engaging with it.
Ultimately, this tug-of-war between LA and Canada highlights the reality that young people worldwide want to find entertainment, not have it found for them. Whether it is an LA influencer launching a viral web series or a Canadian gaming community unearthing an indie masterpiece, Gen Z have taken the power of discovery out of the hands of traditional media networks. In turn, it’s a trend that’s filtering up through the generations and altering how older people discover and connect with digital entertainment content of all kinds.