Television vs. The World (Wide Web)
The television is one of the most important inventions of the 20th century. I would argue its importance rivals that of the automobile and airplane. It allowed the instantaneous stream of news and entertainment. Sure the radio may have done that before the television, but the radio did not have the type of hook that television had. Television eventually became the standard for entertainment. If not for the car radio, television would have likely made the radio all but extinct. Few technologies have become as recognizable, widely used, or as inseparable as the cable television. However, this would only be the case until the 21st century.
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| Radio had little chance of competing with the superior television |
In the early years of the 21st century, the modern internet was born. Like the television, the internet brought with it entertainment and news instantly. Unlike the television however, there was more than "passive media" (media that did not require any user engagement aside from reading/listening). Everything was becoming a two-way street where the user decided what to do, when to do it, and how to go about doing it. The internet was a new, confusing world that brought about the promises of great things. Catch up on all of your friends' activities, check your stocks, or watch hours of programming without commercial advertising getting in the way. The youth who used the internet began to see how obsolete that cable television was becoming as the internet became a more influential part of their lives. It seemed as though history was repeating itself, with the TV this time in the losing role.
Fast forward to today and you can see that there is a war going on in the two industries. Television knows it is in a bad position, but it is fighting tooth and nail to maintain its hold in the American household. It did not seem like the internet could pose a grave threat to the behemoth television, but then the internet gave television programming at a much more affordable cost. Streaming websites like Netflix, Hulu, Sling TV, and YouTube TV are offering thousands of hours of television programming at the tap of a screen. Some of those services are also providing live television, the one advantage that television had over these sites. It's not to say that television has no chance to still remain relevant, they would not have the market share that they have if they did not know how to handle this. Some cable providers are embracing the inevitability of the internet takeover and begun partnering with streaming sites like Netflix and Hulu to help sell their cable packages. Also they have been pairing cable packages with internet services, making it seem as though they are getting a cheap bundle deal. If the television is going to die out due to internet, it sure is not going to be in the near future.
I see where you're coming from when you compared television with the internet. Personally, I believe there is no comparison because of the internet's superiority. Simply put, we can do a lot more on the internet then we can on television whether it's graphing statistics for work or googling anything on our minds. I'm not knocking television, I'm just saying the internet is much more superior to it because of its many functions.
ReplyDeleteI found the internet and television comparison interesting. I think that there are a few more things that are contributing to the internet's success. I would say modern day smartphones play a big part in this battle. They make things like watching Netflix so convenient and portable. Overall, I think that there are a bunch of different aspects that you could look at this from. Thanks for the information.
ReplyDeleteNick H.
Adam--Your blog is starting off well. You have good flow to your writing, and your voice is comfortable and confident. Good ideas and development of your content. Pretty good awareness of your audience. Good visual appeal as well. Great start. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteThe convenience of the internet is just too alluring. It's nice to not have schedule around TV shows. Not to mention it has a lot more to offer than just the entertainment. I know of many people who cut off their cable service because they simply don't use it because of Netflix and Hulu. While streaming services may not have everything neither does cable more often than not there's nothing interesting on. I remember being a kid and scrolling through channels only to find nothing worth watching.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the internet is so easily accessed is what will be driving televisions out of the picture. As you said, you can choose when and how to access the internet where with T.V. you have to hook it up and everything else. Very interesting topic, love your writing!
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