An 80-year-old Taiwanese grandmother, given an iPhone after a health scare, became unexpectedly captivated by YouTube. Her journey began when a young cousin downloaded the app to watch Minecraft videos, but her feed quickly filled with over-the-top romance content. She clicked on one video after another, a habit that initially worried her family.
This digital exploration marked a significant shift. The woman, referred to as A-Ma, began slipping away from familiar routines at the family store and the dinner table. Her immersion in the platform seemed to pull her from her old social circles, creating a new, solitary space for consumption.