Since then, Netflix has only grown larger and larger, and other outlets and services have come into the field. Subscription based services such as Hulu, Amazon Prime, and HBO GO are all examples of the new era of digital media. Even the music industry has hopped on the bandwagon, with services such as Spotify Premium and Apple Music.
It’s gotten to a point where, according to a study conducted by Vindicia from nScreenMedia shows that over 70 percent of American households use at least one media streaming service. It also shows that the average subscriber in America utilizes 3.4 services.
“Now it’s like you and I sign up for something and we are basically like members of this particular thing, so it’s a radical shift [in the industry],” said Carlos Jimenez, an assistant professor in the Media, Film, and Journalism School at the University of Denver.
Jimenez specializes in new media and how low age and minority communities use technology such as cell phones and social media in their daily lives. He sees the movement away from cable and advertisement-fueled television as dramatic but isn’t very concerned about how it will affect our society.
In regard to student life and time management in college, distractions have always been there. Jimenez is skeptical that the rise of streaming services has significantly changed that dynamic.
“Honestly, I think [the access to streaming services] is just replacing something else,” said Jimenez. “Before, instead of sitting in front of a television screen they may have socialized, they may have gone to do outdoor activities.”
There is something to be said about people, especially young people, making the switch to subscription-based television and media. In a survey done by the L.E.K. in 2017, millennials are shown to utilize almost six different services.
This makes one wonder if the access to an almost unlimited amount of media content does in fact distract young adults and college students from their social lives and/or academics. Alexander Hamm, a sophomore business student, believes that it does.
“I would say it has negatively affected my education because I’m like ‘Oh I can write this essay or I can watch Rick and Morty,’ and I usually end up watching Rick and Morty,” said Hamm.
Hamm said that he personally subscribes to about seven different subscription-based media services, which runs him a monthly bill of about $80 USD a month.
For Hamm, it he feels that he is subscribed to too much and it can be overwhelming.
“I’ve been meaning to cancel some of them,” said Hamm. “It’s too much for me at least, but granted I think it’s a good service.”
Most of these services such as Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify Premium all have an automatic, recurring payment system, meaning that you are charged monthly without any confirmation. This means that overall, people sometimes don’t realize how much they are paying for these services.
A survey conducted by CreditCards.com in 2017, showed that out of the population surveyed, which was a sample of American adults, 48% of people signed up for a free trial for one of these services and were charged before realizing that the trial had ended.
Seth Rossier, a sophomore political science student, feels very different than Hamm, as he feels rather unaffected by the influence and the draw of streaming service, but still has access to six or seven of them himself.
“I subscribe to Spotify Premium and through that I get Hulu and Showtime for free because of a deal that they have for college students,” said Rossier.
When talking to Jimenez, he brought up an interesting point of the target market for these streaming services, that market being the millennial and gen-Z populations. This is why for example, Xfinity offers a service called Xfinity On Campus, which allows unlimited live television to all students connected to campus WIFI.
Rossier said though that streaming services like don’t really hinder him, rather the opposite.
“I listen to music probably four hours a day,” said Rossier. “I’m a strong believer that music actually boosts productivity, and the constant access to music [using Spotify] really helps.”
Even though he doesn’t really utilize subscription-based media services very often, Rossier is still has access and pays for many different streaming services. This all comes down to the marketing.
In the article “Rethinking International TV Flows Research in the Age of Netflix” by Ramon Lobato, he states that the market for Netflix in particular comes down to the different countries that it is being used in. He argues that Netflix in the US is more catered towards the middle-class, rather than it being a more upper-class privilege in other countries. This means that these streaming services directly cater towards a certain population which is mostly young adults.
Kilian Scheer, a sophomore international business major, is very similar to Rossier in his thoughts surrounding the use of subscription-based services.
“Honestly, I don’t think [the access to subscription-based media services] has affected my academic or social life because I watch stuff in moderation,” said Scheer. “I’ll prioritize homework or going out with friends over watching YouTube any day.”
Scheer brings up an interesting point, that of moderation, an issue that is very difficult for young people to manage and takes years to master. It’s common for college students and young adults to sit at home on an off day, or even sometimes when they have important work to do, to sit in bed and binge watch an entire season of a show or go on a movie watching marathon, but why does this happen?
According to a study published in Young Consumers Insight and Ideas for Responsible Marketers in Oct. 2017, “Findings indicate that college students binge watch because of social influence, escape reality, accessibility of TV shows through multiple platforms and the advertising effectiveness of content providers.”
In simpler terms, this article is saying that college students and young adults sometimes need a break from school or work, a break from real life. That said, learning self-control is a challenge that all college students and young adults face when they set off on their own, and these subscription-based media platforms are capitalizing on that fact.
“It’s however you want it whenever you want it,” said Jimenez in regard to the mass accessibility of media content.
These subscription-based media services are just there, paid for monthly without even realizing it, and that ethereal presence has caused one of the most influential shifts the media industry has ever seen.
The MFJS Reporter -- Winter 2020 T-R 