In just the last couple decades, a lot has changed across the world as cell phones, near instantaneous communication and social media have become the norm. Gone are the days of home phones on wires and VCRs, and cable is quickly following suit. Most older forms of technology have lost relevancy as this new surge takes place. As a result, the everyday aspects of life in 2010 seem to be a world away from life today. More specifically, as advanced technology grows, older forms of entertainment become less and less common. Cable television is a clear example of this trend, and teenagers and young adults represent this downfall the most.
Lazy afternoons spent lounging about in living rooms watching cable television may very well be obsolete in the near future. The amount of people still keeping up this practice is quickly decreasing, teenagers doing so the least.
“Traditional cable TV viewing by 18-24 year-olds was down by a huge 15.7% year-over-year and had fallen a significant 43.6% from 2012 to 2017,” a study by Marketing Charts said. “In the space of 5 years, close to half of this age group’s traditional TV viewing time has migrated to other activities.”
In other words, cable television has lost popularity at a frightening rate. In gaining the ease and speed of streaming with newest technology, Americans have also lost some valued aspects of traditional entertainment as well.
It is clearly evident that cable television is dying out. In the face of data, that much is undeniable. The convenience of streaming is hard for many to ignore, and apps such as Netflix, Hulu, and others, have steadily gained popularity instead of traditional, more old-fashion means of entertainment. Though this does mean significantly less advertisements and faster access to shows, it also means losing a sort of unity with the world around us. With widespread cable television, people watched more or less the same shows. The same beloved channels, movies, comedies, dramas, and more were seen by countless people around the nation. Television and entertainment were a common denominator. Streaming is different. It allows more variety, more individual options, and more convenience. As a result, that unity present in global cable television is often lacking in the world of modern streaming.
This is not to say that one form of entertainment is clearly better than the other. Streaming services, as is the case with all technology, are ever changing in the modern day. This change is evident and seemingly inevitable as times progress and people do the same. Cable television very well may become a thing of the past, there sadly is not much to do to alter that. As for now, people can only continue to adapt to modern technology and take new developments in stride. So long Saturday morning cartoons, and hello streaming!