In 1849, American poet Edgar Allan Poe published his poem, “A Dream Within a Dream.” The poem, which is divided into two stanzas, explores reality and human existence and is considered one of Poe’s finest short poems. Centuries later, Christopher Nolan wrote and directed his Hollywood blockbuster movie Inception, which explored similar themes. The film won dozens of awards, including an Academy Award for Best Cinematography. While the idea of having a dream within a dream sounds like the work of science fiction, in reality, we see many forms of entertainment — which, for many, dreams are — merged within similar mediums.
Entertainment Within Entertainment
Convenience plays a big part in this transition, as a society today likes to get our news, entertainment, and access to necessities like food and clothing from the same place. One of the latest examples of getting the best of both worlds in entertainment is Netflix rolling out mobile games on its platform. Since late 2021, Netflix users have been able to play games like Stranger Things: 1984 and Shooting Hoops through the streaming service’s mobile app for no additional fees or in-app purchases. These games are available on both iOS and Android app stores.
Similarly, you can also access traditional casino games and sports betting on the same platform. Today, many online casinos integrate sportsbooks. For those who don’t know, a sportsbook is where gamblers place bets on different sporting events, such as football, basketball, and soccer. Some of the most popular casinos that incorporate sportsbooks include 888Casino and William Hill. According to Casinotopsonline.com, these two casinos also offer some of the best online slot games available. Now that there are sportsbooks within casinos, gamblers don’t have to switch between platforms to take part in a range of iGaming activities. This flexibility could explain why the iGaming sector has skyrocketed in popularity in recent years and is projected to reach $127.3 billion by 2027.
Another example of having the best of both worlds in entertainment today is social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok letting viewers purchase clothes, makeup, shoes, and other accessories without ever leaving the apps. Through features like product tags, companies can highlight items from their shop and catalog in their videos and images. That allows viewers to tap on these tags and learn more about these products before going directly to the shop. Instagram and TikTok shopping has revolutionized online shopping and has thrust many small businesses into the spotlight, including a Toronto-based retailer called The Silk Labs. According to the CEO, one TikTok video alone resulted in around 200 customer orders.
Technology has improved our lives, but it has also changed where we get our entertainment, clothes, banking, and food from. Mostly, it is all done in the same place: our smartphones. As a result, the idea of entertainment within entertainment (or a dream within a dream) has become the norm. We can watch our television show and play mobile games on the same apps, shop for clothes on Instagram and TikTok, and place bets on our favorite sports teams before going back to playing poker. In other words, we’re living the best of both worlds.
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