As kids, I’m sure we all had that same excitement waking up and coming to the TV, turning on our cartoons or favorite TV channel, and having the time of our lives. However, this excitement has been missing from our lives for quite some time. This could have been for many reasons, like age, new technology, or excellent content that brings you back to it, and I know exactly how to get right to the bottom of it.
Recently, linear TV had accumulated less than half their regular viewing amount, making 49.6% with cable and broadcast combined. While this happened, streaming services, like Netflix and Hulu, reached new highs, around 38.7% of accumulated earnings across all of the total television watching. However, this comes as no surprise, but it is seen based on recent statistics showing a considerable decrease in broadcasting and cable viewership. While cable viewing has dropped 2.9% in viewership, leaving 29.6% for the total, broadcasting dropped a whopping 3.6%, leaving only 20% left of total viewership for broadcasting. These are crazy statistics, but why are they like this? What is causing them to get so low?
Well, say hello to streaming services. Streaming services have been tremendous upon release due to their immense handiness of having shows ready to watch in an instant at your fingertips. The massive strength of streaming services over TV is that they have many shows and movies that either no longer air on cable and broadcast or do not have current demand. Having a streaming service saves time and is more convenient for a person who needs a show or movie. This is thought by more than just me because, in recent months, streaming viewership has jumped 25.3% year after year and is growing in revenue and views. Currently, YouTube is the most popular streaming service, contributing 9.2% in its category, followed by Netflix at 8.5%. Recently, a junior at Quartz Hill High School named Abraham Granados Ramirez said this about his time watching TV:
“I don’t watch TV for the shows anymore. The only time I catch myself watching TV is when a baseball game is on.”
As new technology and applications are produced, cable and broadcasting will be left in the dust. As we advance our technology, we grow closer and closer to leaving old ways behind. A student at QH named James Ramirez was asked a question regarding this issue, and he said:
“I don’t think cable will be huge in a few years. If no new upgrades and advancements happen to cable TV, it may die off entirely to streaming services and new show and movie-watching apps.” Ramirez added.
As we get older, our cable TV use declines more and more. Even though cartoons, shows, and movies are still relevant in our lives no matter how old we get, there is a sense of reliability that comes with streaming services that make it easier to get entertainment and watch our favorite shows, movies, podcasts, etc. from one application in an instant with only one payment method, the subscription for the app, but these costs are usually light. Although streaming services are so easily obtainable, you should still spend more time socializing and going outside than binge-watching shows and movies all day like a loafer.
