Entertainment Junkies

So we've gone through Facebook, and how work (at least mine) revolves around computer techonlogy to make their world go round. Now how about how technology has taken a toll on entertainment?

Flashback a few years, and everyone was using the good old television to watch TV, listening to CDs to hear music, going to the cinema to watch movies, and going to a bookstore to buy reading materials. Flash forward to present day, and millions of people are watching TV shows online, buying movies (or hacking movies) online, and reading books online. Why is this?

It's simple to figure out- The 2009 Neilsen ratings state that almost 92% of Americans (who have a computer) have internet access. With the internet becoming so popular and conveniant among society, having things literally at our fingertips seems like the way to go. Making entertainment readily available online makes this possible, and brings instant satisfaction to customers and viewers. It saves us time and money while still bringing us temporary gratification- if buying something, doing it online almost always turns out cheaper than going to a local store to get something, and it saves you the time to commute there (plus other expenses that might distract you on the way).

When music programs like Napster and others that followed came out, it was a way to personalize and customize your mass produced computer. You could carry a piece of what you liked wherever you went- who doesn't enjoy having things they like at their leisure? iTunes, Rhapsody, and other music programs followed after, so that consumers could have their own personal libraries in their computers. The purchasing of CDs has declined significantly because of this. According to Digital Media Wire, between 2007 and 2009, there was a 21% decline in music purchasing (over 24 million people). In 2000, *NSYNC made records selling 1.1 million CDs in one day. Now, it's unheard of to be able for an artist to break a 500,000 mark in a week's time.

TV & movies have taken a similar path- as music started taking a digital path, so did TV and film. The ability to download shows and movies became more common, and so to stop piracy, companies started making their pieces available online- some for a price, and some not. Networks like the CW, FOX and ABC have their show libraries online for free so viewers can watch full episodes if they missed them or want to re-watch them. Other websites such as Hulu and YouTube also have agreements with netowrks and companies to air TV shows, or even movies on their sites. Some sites have subscription fees to watch and download unlimited amounts of media (Netflix being one leading one). There are also illegal sites which stream movies while they're still in theatres. While this is frowned upon, it is very popular in today's economy. As the years have gone by, the price to go see a movie has risen ridiculously, so the idea of watching a new release online is appealing to young moviegoers.

Even books have turned digital. While I still like to have a hard copy of a book to hold and fold pages, many people like having several books available to them at once. The amazon Kindle and now the iPad are some examples of tablets that can hold hundreds of books on one sleek device. Books cost less this way, and are downloaded straight to your device in minutes so you can read immediately.

Digital entertainment has certainly taken over in the past few years, but it hasn't stopped the entertainment industry from continuing working normally. Movie tickets will always sell, and Americans will always purchase cable subscriptions and books. Still though, the times are a changin, and companies are just doing their part technologically to keep up to date with them. Until next time...

Work, party, blog!