Key takeaways
1. Generational bias leads to missed opportunities by dismissing new trends younger audiences value, like digital asset ownership.
2. Staying comfortable means relying on old patterns that no longer resonate with dynamic, tech-savvy consumers.
3. Hollywood executives often misjudge emerging technologies due to their own generational experiences and preferences.
4. Younger audiences are shifting toward platforms and creators that better reflect their values and digital realities.
5. Overcoming generational bias requires empowering younger voices, experimenting with new technologies, and prioritizing audience insights.
One key question I’m continuously grappling with when considering the future of entertainment, and the impact that new technologies (like generative AI and blockchain networks) will have on it, is this:
Are these disruptive or sustaining innovations?
Is the opportunity of embracing these technologies more potent for a new venture (like a neo-franchise) or for an established company, like Disney or Warner Bros.?
There is no definite answer. It can be beneficial for both, or either.
Blending together my continuous research into the entertainment industry, my time spent onchain, and my experience from working closely in one corner of the entertainment industry for more than a decade (cinemas), there is one key culprit that may be killing Hollywood as we know it, slowly but surely.
I consider this the cost of staying comfortable.
Staying comfortable means relying on old patterns.
Staying comfortable means not taking on the risks of something new and unknown.
Staying comfortable means searching for the answers you already want.
As new waves of tech wash in over the entertainment industry, generational bias and a wish to stay comfortable are creating a gap in entertainment. It’s like a tectonic shift that happens so slowly few notice it day-by-day, but over time it increases the gap to a point beyond repair.
Generational Bias Defined
Generational bias can be loosely defined as "the tendency to dismiss or undervalue new ideas, technologies, or preferences simply because they deviate from the norms or experiences of one’s own generation." This bias is clearly on display when a parent is dismissive of their kids playing Roblox.
"Go out, be with your friends."
"I already am."
For a parent, socializing via Roblox can hardly be called socializing. From their point of reference. Thus, it becomes their truth. For the 12-year-old who has grown up with an internet-enabled computer, the frame of reference is entirely different.
Another great example is the way people dismissed (and continue to dismiss) the concept of digital asset value. It’s the classic "the monkey picture has no value" argument. It may be difficult for one generation to ascribe value to a digital asset, but for someone born into the age of the internet, it’s the most natural thing.
The Disconnect Between Executives and Audiences
Hollywood’s power brokers are predominantly in their 40s, 50s, and beyond—generations that came of age in a pre-digital world. For many of them, the idea of owning a "JPEG" or a "digital sword" seems absurd. They evaluate these concepts through the lens of their own experiences: physical collectibles like baseball cards or movie props, or the preeminence of the silver screen as the ultimate cultural artifact.
Meanwhile, their audiences live in a vastly different world. Younger generations grew up immersed in digital ecosystems, from gaming platforms like Fortnite and Roblox to social media networks where identity and status are shaped as much by virtual possessions as physical ones. For them, digital ownership is intuitive, desirable, and even aspirational. Yet, the Hollywood executive dismisses these trends because they don’t personally want or understand them.
This egocentric evaluation leads to missed opportunities. When a studio executive passes on integrating digital assets into a blockbuster’s marketing strategy, they aren’t just rejecting a trend—they’re rejecting a cultural shift.
Why Generational Bias Persists
Generational bias persists because it’s comfortable. When executives rely on their own preferences and instincts, they’re drawing from a lifetime of expertise that has historically served them well. But this reliance also creates blind spots.
For example, streaming platforms initially faced resistance from traditional studio heads who clung to the theatrical model. It took years for streaming to be seen as a legitimate avenue for distribution, by which point disruptors like Netflix had already seized massive market share. The same pattern is repeating with blockchain-based media and digital economies.
The Cost of Staying Comfortable
This bias has tangible consequences. Younger audiences are drifting away from traditional Hollywood offerings, gravitating instead toward platforms and creators who speak their language and reflect their values. The rise of YouTube creators, TikTok influencers, and decentralized media platforms are symptoms of a larger problem: Hollywood is failing to keep pace with its audience.
Moreover, this isn’t just a cultural risk—it’s an economic one. By ignoring digital trends, Hollywood is leaving billions on the table. The gaming industry, for instance, has already surpassed film and TV in revenue, driven largely by its embrace of digital economies and participatory cultures. Hollywood’s reluctance to adapt puts it at risk long term.
Overcoming the Gap
And this creates the challenge: When the person that makes business decisions belongs to one generation, and views the world through their frame, the generational bias will trick them into dismissing the very thing their future customers will want. The gap comes from the leaders of the industry staying static, continuing to evaluate the world from their reality. Meanwhile, the preference, taste, and behaviors of the next generation of consumers are dynamic. They move further away from the status quo. Eventually, the old is no longer interesting to them, it doesn’t serve their demands or fulfill their needs.
This is where these new technologies become both sustaining and disruptive. A traditional entertainment company can adopt them to craft new experiences and business models tailored to customer expectations.
It also creates an environment where new ventures can emerge to fill the gaps if and when the former doesn't adapt.
This kicks off another interesting downstream effect:
A new entertainment venture will look small and isignificant to the old-skool executive, so the same generational bias trap tricks them twice.
This tectonic shift is real, it's happening now, and it will create opportunities for both existing and new players in entertainment. The requirement is to shed the need to stay comfortable, and to embrace a culture of continuous experimenting and risk-taking.
As always, reach out to me on X or Farcaster if you have feedback or are working on something cool you want to discuss.
