Ep. 382: Is the Internet Becoming Television?

Transcript

Cal Newport (0:03)

Back in October, the journalist Derek Thompson.

Jesse (0:06)

Published an intriguing essay on his substack that was titled Everything Is Television now. It created a bit of a stir among those who study technology and the Internet for a living. Here's Derek actually, in his own words, summarizing the thesis of this article.

Derek Thompson (0:22)

A spooky convergence is happening in media. Everything that is not already television is turning into television.

Cal Newport (0:30)

So what did Derek mean by this? This is the question we're going to answer today. I'm going to both unpack and expand.

Jesse (0:38)

On Thompson's arguments and then add my.

Cal Newport (0:41)

Own conclusions, including three predictions about what.

Jesse (0:44)

I think is going to happen next. Hopefully, by the end of our discussion.

Cal Newport (0:48)

You'Ll have a brand new way of understanding the sort of vaguely distressing but difficult to define changes that seem to.

Jesse (0:54)

Have been happening in Internet culture in recent years. Have some ideas about what to expect and what to do to best react to the future.

Cal Newport (1:02)

So let's get into it, as always.

Jesse (1:04)

I'm Cal Newport, and this is Deep Questions.

Cal Newport (1:19)

Today's episode is the Internet becoming television?

Jesse (1:23)

And what does this mean for you?

Cal Newport (1:28)

All right, so I want to start.

Jesse (1:29)

By really diving into the big points from Derek Thompson's articles to see if we can make sense of what he's saying here.

Cal Newport (1:36)

Fortunately, on a recent episode of Thompson's.

Jesse (1:39)

Podcast, Plain English, which is really good.

Cal Newport (1:41)

Deep Questions with Cal Newport – Episode 382

“Is the Internet Becoming Television?”
Release Date: December 8, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Cal Newport explores the provocative thesis from journalist Derek Thompson: that all digital media is converging into a form of “television.” Cal unpacks, analyzes, and expands upon Thompson’s arguments, delving into how social media, podcasts, and even AI are increasingly adopting video-driven, continuous, and algorithmically curated experiences reminiscent of traditional TV. He then offers his own nuanced take, three predictions for the future of internet-based media, and practical advice for listeners grappling with distractions and digital overload.

Main Discussion

What Does “Everything Is Television” Mean?

Derek Thompson’s Thesis (00:22, 02:02, 09:18):
- “A spooky convergence is happening in media. Everything that is not already television is turning into television.”
  — Derek Thompson ([00:22], [02:02])
- “When I say everything is turning into television, what I mean is that everything is turning into the continuous flow of episodic video.”
  — Derek Thompson ([09:18])
- Media, regardless of origins (from Facebook to AI), now trends toward endlessly streaming, non-specific, algorithmically-selected short-form video, just like TV’s ‘flow.’

Thompson’s Three Main Examples

The Death of Social Media as “Social” ([02:16]–[04:39])
- Most time on Facebook (80%+) and Instagram (90%+) is now spent watching videos from strangers, not socializing.
- Data from the Financial Times: Hours spent on social media peaked in 2022, especially declining among youth; reasons to connect and share opinions are dropping, while “following celebrities” and “filling spare time” are rising.
Podcasts Are Becoming TV ([04:45]–[05:11])
- Video podcasts are growing twice as fast as audio-only ones.
- Pressure for all podcasters (including Thompson) to add video.
AI-Generated Video Content ([05:11]–[06:27])
- Tools like OpenAI’s Sora and Meta’s Vibes are producing endless, audience-tailored video streams.
- “Even AI wants to be television.” — Derek Thompson ([05:26])
- Cal and Jesse describe surreal AI-generated video scenarios (ASMR podcasts with Renaissance paintings, self-insert Oscar speeches, etc.).

Theoretical Framework: What Defines “Television” as a Cultural Form?

Raymond Williams’ Concept of “Flow” ([06:46]–[08:53])
- Before TV: Media was discrete (books, plays). TV: continuous, nonspecific, multi-modal stream (“planned flow”).
- Williams: “This phenomenon of planned flow is… the defining characteristic of broadcasting… as a cultural form.” ([07:55])
- Cal argues TikTok, Sora, or auto-playing YouTube replicate this flow, not serving specific content but a constant stream.

Implications and Concerns

Is This Bad? ([13:09]–[14:08])
- Not inherently about images or video, but when this ‘televisual grammar’ dominates all media, Thompson worries:
  1. Degrades Mental Habits: Moves us from a “culture of literacy to a culture of orality” (Walter Ong).
  2. Increases Loneliness: Classical TV was isolating (Robert Putnam, “Bowling Alone”). Phones + video = more isolation, per new data.
Cal’s Take: Not Everything Becomes TV ([18:05]–[20:26])
- Legacy media like books and movies continue to thrive; only internet-based media gets drawn into the “TV attractor.”
- “The real way to state this headline would be: Internet-based media is becoming television.” ([20:14])

Why Did Internet Become “Television”?

A Perspective Shift: Economic, Not Technological Determinism
([20:31]–[27:21], [24:02]–[25:35])

Television’s 20th-century Ubiquity
- By the 1980s, American TVs were on >7 hours a day per household (CSM, 1985).
- TV filled moments of boredom and downtime—a “massive, highly lucrative market” ([24:24–24:36]).
The Role of the Internet and Smartphones
- “The biggest economic activity in the Internet age has been building a better version of television.” ([26:01])
- Internet and smartphones: More portable, algorithmically curated (better distraction), targeted ads.
- Result: Entrepreneurs followed the money, building upgraded “TV” on new platforms.

Cal’s 3 Predictions for the Next “Television Age”

([28:00]–[35:43])

Video Is the Cost of Entry for Major Internet Media
- Podcasts/newsletters will add video to stay relevant; podcast-video deals with Netflix/YouTube will proliferate. ([28:09]–[29:57])
- Cal highlights his own foresight: “I insisted on video for the podcast.” ([30:16])
Existing Social Media Giants Will Suffer
- Their moat was “social graphs”; as they shift to video, this advantage evaporates. Platforms become easily replicable, just TV networks competing for attention. ([30:52]–[33:01])
- “When Internet media moves towards television… it’s a much more aggressive sort of competitive landscape.”
Opting Out Will Get Easier
- As internet media resembles TV, abstention is no longer “weird”—it’s normal and increasingly valued (as with TV). ([33:09]–[35:15])
- “It’s going to make it easier for you to live a deeper life because what you’re moving away from is going to be more clearly coded as just distraction. It’s Maury Povich.” ([35:15])

Notable Quotes & Moments

“Television seems to be the attractor of all media.”
— Derek Thompson ([10:20])
“Making a single radical change… might make a lot of other areas of your life worse… you add these things up and you end up net negative.”
— Cal Newport on grand-goal vs. lifestyle-centric planning ([59:17])
“The biggest economic activity in the Internet age has been building a better version of television.” ([26:01])
“Be the change you want to see in the world… Demonstrate life without it so they see it going on in you.” ([54:13])

Listener Q&A & Case Study Highlights

Managing Web Distractions as a Programmer

([38:32]–[43:52])

Use AI tools (like Claude app) integrated into workflow to avoid browser distractions.
Core takeaway: Avoiding distraction is easier with time-block planning—when you define when and what to focus on, you’re less likely to let your mind wander.

Productivity in High-interruption Jobs

([44:03]–[47:19])

For automation engineers or similar roles, constant interruptions are “the job.”
The key is intention over completion: keep adapting your time-blocks without resentment, always planning for “what can I do now?”

Media Consumption Overwhelm

([47:31]–[49:16])

Don’t stress about creating perfect lists of what to read/watch. As long as you’re regularly engaging with interesting content, you’re doing fine.

Dealing with Family’s Screen Habits

([52:50]–[54:41])

You can’t force change; model alternate behaviors and later share recommendations, but don’t judge or lecture.

Case Study: Deep Life Pitfall—Grand Goal vs. Lifestyle Planning

([56:11]–[63:08])

Listener “Jeff” describes failing to find satisfaction through “grand goals” (prestige jobs, passion pursuits), and ultimately discovers contentment by designing his day-to-day routine around values—reading, family, exercise.

Book Segment: Five Books Cal Read in November

Grouped by Theme:

Disney/Biz:
- Realityland by David Cohen
- Becoming Mary Poppins by Todd James Pierce
Religion/Philosophy:
- What Is the Bible? by Rob Bell
- Tradition in an Untraditional Age by Jonathan Sacks
Culture:
- Notes on Being a Man by Scott Galloway

Cal discusses his continuing “Thriller December” tradition—planning to (re)read Michael Crichton's Airframe and other thrillers.

Memorable and Lighthearted Moments

Cal jokes about “knocking phones out of relatives’ hands yelling deep work and running out of the room” ([53:11]).
Banter about video podcasts, TV technology, and children breaking TVs on Black Friday ([36:00–38:10]).
Humorous remarks on Michael Crichton’s career: “After 1994, almost every Michael Crichton book involved, at some point—usually in incongruous ways—dinosaurs.” ([76:02])

TL;DR: Key Takeaways

Media is converging toward TV-like, continuous, algorithmically-curated video.
Legacy media (books, movies) persists, but internet-based media is caught in the “television attractor.”
This trend is driven by economic (not technological) incentives—“follow the TV money.”
Expect more video in all major internet content, social platforms to burn off their old advantages, and for it to become easier (and less “weird”) to opt out.
The “deep life” is more possible than ever—if you choose intentional engagement with media and design your daily routine with care.

For more on creating focus and depth in a distracted world, check out Cal Newport’s newsletter at calnewport.com.

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Transcript

Summary

Deep Questions with Cal Newport – Episode 382

“Is the Internet Becoming Television?”
Release Date: December 8, 2025

Overview

Main Discussion

What Does “Everything Is Television” Mean?

Thompson’s Three Main Examples

Theoretical Framework: What Defines “Television” as a Cultural Form?

Implications and Concerns

Why Did Internet Become “Television”?

Cal’s 3 Predictions for the Next “Television Age”

Notable Quotes & Moments

Listener Q&A & Case Study Highlights

Managing Web Distractions as a Programmer

Productivity in High-interruption Jobs

Media Consumption Overwhelm

Dealing with Family’s Screen Habits

Case Study: Deep Life Pitfall—Grand Goal vs. Lifestyle Planning

Book Segment: Five Books Cal Read in November

Memorable and Lighthearted Moments

TL;DR: Key Takeaways

Ep. 382: Is the Internet Becoming Television?

Transcript

Summary

Deep Questions with Cal Newport – Episode 382

“Is the Internet Becoming Television?” Release Date: December 8, 2025

Overview

Main Discussion

What Does “Everything Is Television” Mean?

Thompson’s Three Main Examples

Theoretical Framework: What Defines “Television” as a Cultural Form?

Implications and Concerns

Why Did Internet Become “Television”?

Cal’s 3 Predictions for the Next “Television Age”

Notable Quotes & Moments

Listener Q&A & Case Study Highlights

Managing Web Distractions as a Programmer

Productivity in High-interruption Jobs

Media Consumption Overwhelm

Dealing with Family’s Screen Habits

Case Study: Deep Life Pitfall—Grand Goal vs. Lifestyle Planning

Book Segment: Five Books Cal Read in November

Memorable and Lighthearted Moments

TL;DR: Key Takeaways

“Is the Internet Becoming Television?”
Release Date: December 8, 2025