Expert commentary for 10 News+ on speedrunning, gaming culture, and social media trends

Description

I provided expert commentary for a 10 News+ segment examining the emergence of the “Scientology speedrunning” trend in Australia. The story focused on a viral social media practice in which participants attempt to enter Church of Scientology premises and progress as far as possible before being stopped by security. My contribution explained the concept of speedrunning from games culture and how this logic has been adapted into social media trends. I discussed how speedrunning traditionally refers to completing a game, level, or challenge as quickly as possible, often within a highly performative and community-driven culture. In this media context, I provided a digital media perspective on how the language and mechanics of gaming can be reworked into online challenges, where humour, visibility, competition, and peer attention can encourage real-world participation. The commentary helped contextualise the trend for a general public audience by connecting it to broader patterns in platform culture, online performance, and the movement of gaming concepts into everyday social media behaviour.