Series have become an ordinary cultural gesture
Watching a series is no longer just an evening pastime. It has become a shared cultural reflex, to the point of influencing how many French people understand the world, others, and sometimes themselves.
This evolution is part of a broader shift in cultural practices. The Ministry of Culture notes that digital practices have increasingly become part of daily life, with series being among the most consumed cultural goods online. In 2022, 86% of French internet users reported consuming cultural goods online, with series being one of the most frequent uses.
A work of fiction, but also a way of interpreting reality
The starting point is simple: what does a series do to its viewer? Recent studies on fiction reception suggest that series serve as a way of interpreting. They help recognize situations, express emotions, and articulate sometimes fuzzy social relationships. This approach focuses less on the plot and more on the audience’s experience.
The book dedicated to this topic is based on major surveys on French cultural practices and a specific qualitative survey conducted in 2022. Its interest lies in not assuming that the meaning of a work is fixed once and for all. It observes what viewers actually do with it.
In 2022, a whopping 68.5% of French people claimed to watch at least one episode of a series per week. In other words, series have become part of the daily routine for the majority. They are no longer a niche marker but a common practice, like other forms of mass culture.
What this changes in cultural life
The second lesson is more political in the broad sense: series show that culture is no longer limited to traditional institutions. The television set remains significant, but consumption is also shifting to connected screens and platforms. The Arcom highlights that consuming audiovisual content now takes place in a broader digital environment.
This transformation has several effects. Firstly, it alters the relationship with time. Series are watched continuously, on replay, sometimes in binge-watching sessions. It also changes the relationship with knowledge: the viewer doesn’t receive a single message, but constructs an interpretation, often based on personal experience. Lastly, it blurs the line between “legitimate” culture and “popular” culture. A series can be consumed for entertainment as well as for thought-provoking purposes.
Between mirror effect and framing effect
One sensitive question remains: does the series reflect reality or distort it? In practice, it does both. It provides visibility to situations many recognize but also simplifies and sometimes dramatizes them, making them more readable than in everyday life. That’s precisely why it impacts its viewers. It doesn’t impose a moral but offers frameworks for understanding.
The authors cited in the survey emphasize reception. The same program can be received as pure entertainment, realistic fiction, a reflection of oneself, or a debating fiction. The meaning is not solely in the work itself but is constructed in usage, discussion, and the viewer’s experience. It’s a way to remind that a series is valuable not just for its plot but for what it circulates in society.
A field to monitor: the evolution of habits
The matter is not settled. The next stage will play out in the habits themselves: what place will series hold against short videos, new digital formats, and competition among platforms? Future surveys will reveal if this practice remains dominant or begins to fragment. That will be the true test of its position in everyday culture.
