Abstract Book of the 9th International Conference on Social Sciences in the 21st Century
Year: 2025
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From Theaters to Streaming: The Influence of Algorithms on Film Culture and Consumption
Elvira Celardi, Simone La Mela
ABSTRACT:
Cinema has long functioned as a social and cultural space, shaping and reflecting societal transformations. Film consumption has shifted from collective theater experiences to algorithm-driven, personalized viewing with the rise of streaming platforms. This study examines the evolution of audiovisual consumption through a semiotic and sociological analysis, focusing on the role of recommendation algorithms in shaping viewer preferences and reinforcing social stratification. The research methodology includes a Sentiment Analysis of user reviews on films depicting artificial intelligence and the development of a machine-learningbased recommendation model. The findings reveal how algorithms influence user choices, fostering filter bubbles that restrict content discovery while reinforcing pre-existing preferences. However, cinema’s social function endures, evolving through online film communities such as Letterboxd, where users engage in collective discussion and curation. This study contributes to the broader discourse on technology, cultural consumption, and social identity in the digital era.
Keywords: artificial intelligence, audiovisual consumption, cinema studies, recommendation