The rise of "Intentional Content Consumption"
And why the fight against mindless scrolling matters for marketers
What's the story?
Last week, the New York Times launched their "anti-brain-rot" campaign which champions "active absorption". The same week, Vogue named 2025 "The trend-less summer". And finally, a "My Personal Curriculum" TikTok trend took off as creators share the things they're actively seeking to learn or improve on each month.
Everywhere we look, there are consumer behaviours that signal a determined shift from mindless scrolling to considered "intentional consumption". Gen Z are sharing "things they did instead of doom scrolling", whilst educational Substacks, YouTube deep-dives, and old-school blogs are on the rise (bookstore chain Waterstones even reported a boost in fiction sales fuelled by Gen Z).
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Why is this happening (and why does it matter)?
The explosion of TikTok in 2020 saw brands, creators and everyday people lean into short-form video. Content that hooks you in quickly and holds our attention for 5-10 seconds before we move on to the next thing.
But now, five years later, all the signs suggest that people want something deeper. They don't want to be stuck in an endless, meaningless scroll and instead they want to direct energy and time towards something that will add to their lives.
What can marketers take from this?
Brands need to consider their creator and influencer strategies in this new era of "intentional content consumption".
How are you partnering with creators that will cut through? How are you making content that leaves people feeling inspired, interested and not like they've wasted their valuable time?
Taylor Swift's advice on the recent New Heights podcast to "treat your energy like it's a luxury item that not everyone can afford" went viral and it really speaks to this overarching movement. People are thinking of their attention online as valuable, and they won't give it away as easily.
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Author: Joanna Hughston, Head of Marketing, The Goat Agency
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