Imagine rushing home to catch the newest episode of your favorite television show, only to hit typical Queens traffic and realize you’re going to miss it.
Today, this dilemma seems almost non-existent, as we are increasingly cutting our linear television viewing habits and switching to streaming.
The same trend is true for music, as streaming services and aux cords are becoming the new radio.
While Netflix and Spotify may just seem like new ways to consume media, what they say about our generation is something much larger.
The most apparent benefit of streaming is convenience.
Television and music should not control our schedule, and with the ability to play and pause whenever we like; we are in control of our experience. Add the ability to tune-in on our phones, tablets and laptops, and it is clearly a more accessible way of experiencing entertainment.
One of the most positive side effects of streaming platforms is the encouragement to try new things.
Few people would pay money for an album of an artist they never heard before, but the “all-you-can-eat-buffet” style of music streaming inspires users to check out new artists and genres.
If you don’t like what you hear, simply press next and you’ve lost nothing.
Another great result of these services is that it appeals to the individual, not the masses.
While cable networks are forced to target a wide audience with a specific type of content, Netflix can simultaneously deliver different content to different people.
If there is a particular show that is enjoyed by a niche market, large networks have no incentive to air it because they have a limited amount of air-time, but streaming services can add it to their library without hurting their other programs.
This ultimately results in more diverse content and a more inclusive field of television.
For now, streaming is also a cheaper alternative, but that aspect may change as more networks pull their programs from outside services and create their own.
Whether or not it remains cheaper, streaming appears to be the way of the future, and I’m happy to see it continually grow.
