Within the last few years, I’ve discovered a shocking revelation about myself. Despite growing up and watching much of this medium, it seems that I’ve abandoned it. But how could I deceive something that’s always been there when I needed it? How could I have left you behind? How could I have desert…my cable box!?!?
So the mere convenience of just watching whatever the hell I want, whenever I want has made cable seem like a relic from the past. Literally, everyone and their grandmothers subscribe to Netflix and this has groomed society into watching what we want when we! Even if you’re not a fan of Netflix, you’re not exactly lacking any alternate streaming services to choose from. It’s just far too simple for me to load up my PS4 and use either the Netflix, Hulu, or even Funimation app from there.
Is the latest episode of Stranger Things on any cable network? Can you discover new terrors about the digital age in Black Mirror? I think not! Nearly content created can be found on any streaming service. The exclusiveness associating watching certain shows on cable is almost gone. The generation has grown up in a world where they slowly transitioned from watching shows at specific timeslot to watching their favorite crime dramas at 3a.m.
If anything, YouTube itself has stolen the eyeballs of audiences. Legitment careers have started and ended on the site and literally any and everyone is a potential actor. Most young kids learn how to navigate the site before actually learning how to control a remote. I personally leave the website on the background just to have some noise. The amount of hours I’ve watched as well as the number of content creators I’ve followed is staggering to think about. You can learn about everything from untold stories of WW1 to the latest social media drama. Even cable networks themselves have made their presence on the platform a top priority. YouTube is literally in the background as I write this article while my television is turned off.
The money that I would pay for the cable bill could go towards faster internet speed as well as more streaming services. Because the world that we live in is so dependant on being connected, having the fastest connection just makes more sense. For instance, if you’re trying play Fortnite on your PS4 while your girlfriend streams Netflix, you’ll experience severe lag. Now if you were to cut the cable cord, then the number of devices that you could connect without slowdown increases. Of course, this is just my own personal assessment of what’s more important as far as entertainment expenses.
Most people have had cable all their natural born lives and can’t envision not having. But the sooner or later, audiences are gonna shift even more to absorbing their content online. In order for these cable companies to survive, they’re gonna have to adjust their prices and entice customers not to cut the cable cord. However, the way they execute this plan is entirely up in the air right now. Although maybe they can retain customers based on sheer nostalgia. Unfortunately, the kids growing up in this digital age won’t necessarily have that same attachment. Like I said earlier, how many kids do you know that can’t tie their shows yet but can point out their favorite Paw Patrol episode on YouTube. Do you realize that there are elderly people who can barely operate their cellphone but can still turn the television to their favorite soaps? This shift in the dominant media platform is one that’s progressing whether we realize it or not.
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