By the early 2000s, Indonesian sinetrons became a guilty pleasure of the masses. While critics often lambasted them for over-the-top acting and repetitive plots (villainous neighbors, switched-at-birth babies, and mystical genderuwo ghosts), there was no denying their grip on the public. Shows like Tersanjung (The Flattered) and Si Doel Anak Sekolahan (Doel, The Schoolboy) became national obsessions, turning actors like Rano Karno and Maudy Kesuma into household names.

For decades, the local film industry struggled against the dominance of Hollywood and, more recently, Korean content. However, the late 2010s and early 2020s have been heralded as a "New Wave" of Indonesian cinema.

Names like (dubbed the "Richest YouTuber in Southeast Asia"), Raffi Ahmad (often called the "King of Indonesian Celebrity"), and the Gen Halilintar family have built media empires that dwarf traditional studios. When Raffi Ahmad celebrated his wedding, it was a national television event. When Atta Halilintar breathes, the stock market of local digital products moves.

What is the trajectory of ? It is moving away from imitating the West. In the early 2000s, everyone wanted to be American rockstars. In the 2010s, they wanted to be Korean. Now, in the 2020s, the hottest trend is "Sok Indonesia" (Be Indonesian).