Australians are consuming more content than ever before, but engaging with it less meaningfully, according to new research from Fujifilm Australia, with the findings raising fresh questions for brands battling to hold audience attention in an era dominated by doomscrolling.
Fujifilm’s latest Forecast Trends Report found that although audience consumption remains high, engagement is rapidly weakening, with 53 per cent of Australians admitting they now scroll on their devices out of habit rather than genuine interest.
At the same time, nearly half, 49 per cent, said they retain very little of what they consume online, highlighting a growing disconnect between how much content audiences are seeing and how much is actually cutting through.
The findings suggest brands are increasingly competing in an attention economy where audiences are still consuming content at scale, but are mentally checking out.
According to the report, Australians are becoming fatigued by endless feeds, accelerated trend cycles and overproduced content designed purely for engagement metrics.
Instead, audiences are beginning to prioritise content that feels more intentional, human and authentic.
Entertainment remains the strongest driver of engagement at 44 per cent, followed by authenticity at 42 per cent and learning at 40 per cent, suggesting audiences are becoming more selective about the content they actively choose to engage with.
The report also found that 77 per cent of Australians believe it is important that content feels real and authentic, while 59 per cent said they are more likely to trust content labelled as not AI-generated.
For brands, the shift signals a growing challenge with traditional social content strategies that rely heavily on trend participation, high posting frequency and polished production.
Fujifilm described the current landscape as the “Anti-Trend Era”, pointing to new research from TikTok showing trends in Australia now last just three days on average, with more than half disappearing within a single working week.
That speed is contributing to rising audience fatigue.
According to the findings, 41 per cent of Australians now find themselves stuck in “doomscrolling” loops, while 47 per cent said they crave slower forms of media to escape the constant digital noise.
The report suggests that as audiences become increasingly passive in the way they consume content, brands can no longer rely on simply appearing in-feed to drive meaningful engagement.
Instead, marketers are being forced to rethink what actually earns attention.
The findings indicate audiences are moving away from content that feels manufactured or algorithmically optimised, and towards content that feels credible, relatable and emotionally resonant.
Australians are also becoming more selective about what they share themselves.
Eighty per cent said they are becoming more considered about what they post online, while only 20 per cent now post multiple times a week.
Nearly half, 47 per cent, said they only post when something meaningful happens, reflecting a broader shift away from always-on participation towards more intentional online behaviour.
The report also identified the rise of what Fujifilm called “quiet creation”, with 61 per cent of Australians saying they regularly create content they never intend to post publicly.
