The New Underground: Film Discovery in the Age of Social Media Restrictions

Australia's under-16 social media ban is in place, the UK's is due in 2027, and Europe is talking. For today's teens, short videos and memes do much of what trailers once did, turning films into must-see cultural moments. So what happens when the feed goes quiet? Or does it? If teens slip underground, into VPNs, group chats and fan communities, where does film discovery follow? Will young audiences stop discovering films, rediscover the cinema or find something new entirely? Could cinemas, live events and brand partnerships fill the gap? National Research Group and other film industry voices explore how proposed restrictions across Europe could reshape the way young audiences discover, engage with and experience film, and whether marketers should panic or vice versa.