Media is making a big dramatic shift

Ryan Scott

Every generation is afforded an opportunity to effect change. Often times we can focus on historical examples of this such as the civil rights movement or rallying an entire nation to win the space race to the moon. However, sometimes these changes are less obvious.

Our youth currently have the power to shake long standing media standards and platforms to their knees. New media has afforded us the opportunity to take control of content that we want to consume. We are forming a new relationship with content creators that will, with near certainty, shape the future of television, music and news.

New media is the idea of having on-demand access to content anytime, anywhere on any digital device.

On-demand services such as Netflix really helped to facilitate this shake up and changed the way a generation perceived consumption.

“My kids don’t understand regular TV,” said Phil Bardstock, the Film Office Program Manager for the city of Phoenix.

Bradstock has two kids, ages 4 and 5, who primarily use Netflix to watch their television. He went on to mention that a benefit of this is that his children no longer get upset when they are told to turn off the tv because they know that they can just pick up where they left of later.

As consumers, we are now being granted the opportunity to dictate what we want to consume and how we want to consume it. The convenience of these on-demand, services and the flexibility that they offer are too great to be denied.

Recently, Netflix managed to be the first internet streaming service to be nominated for an Emmy, with their original programs House of Cards and Arrested Development managing to obtain a total of 14 nominations.

This has already impacted traditional television in a big way with many television executives having to combat the effects of new media.

As convenient as new media makes consumption, we as a whole should pay close attention to what it is that we are consuming and the types of shows and media we want to see in the future.

As consumers we have the power to help shape this transition from time based to on-demand, niche programming.

Do we want to promote another decade of mindless reality television or do we want something more?

I believe we can exercise our power as consumers to make the media transition an extremely positive thing.

“This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends.” Edward R. Murrow once said this of television, and I think his point should be taken into account when we begin to exercise of power of consumption. 

  • Mesa Legend Staff

    These are archived stories from Mesa Legend editions before Fall 2018. See article for corresponding author.

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