Today, Explained Attention deficit television
99 snips
Nov 21, 2025 
C.T. Jones, a staff writer at Rolling Stone, and Julia Alexander, a media correspondent at Puck News, dive into the world of microdramas, short serials optimized for phone screens. They explore how these bite-sized stories cater to our dwindling attention spans and the monetization strategies behind them. The duo discusses the origins of microdramas in China, the varied experiences actors face, and the implications for Hollywood's future. Julia also shares insights on viewer frustrations, nostalgia for quality TV, and the potential impact of AI on content creation.
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What Microdramas Are
- Microdramas are short, portrait-mode episodic films designed for phones and scrolling audiences.
- They target attention during in-between moments with 4–10 minute episodes across many short installments.
Designed For Small Attention Spans
- Their appeal is tailoring story length and format to changing phone-based attention spans.
- Microdramas let viewers stay on their phones and consume narrative in tiny, commute-sized chunks.
Cliffhanger Ads Drive Engagement
- Microdramas often cut a suspenseful moment right before an answer and insert an ad or prompt to continue in-app.
- This cliffhanger-plus-ad structure drives engagement and monetization on vertical platforms.
