An increasingly digital and demanding societal landscape is leaving people sentimental for simpler times and looking to culture from the past to understand the present. People are conjuring comfort by tapping into nostalgic memories of what was, and consuming media in ways that feel tangible and reassuring.

The ‘comfort creator’ can provide sought after solace to young audiences by offering a level of connection that TV’s fourth wall inhibits. A desire to connect while being entertained opens opportunities to provide more interactive forms of engagement as people live more and more online.

‘Slumber parties’ used to mean pillow fights, but today they’re just as likely to involve an eight-hour stream of someone sleeping on Twitch. Live sleep streams are booming on the platform, offering viewers a slow, voyeuristic sense of intimacy and connection following a year of social disruption.

With more time on their hands during the pandemic, Americans sought out slower forms of storytelling to sate their entertainment needs. Yet while extra screen time is part of the reason why such narratives are taking off on TV and in film, what other factors are drawing audiences in?