Gone are the days of cultivating epic CD and video collections, and staying home so you don't miss your favourite TV show. Generation Z may never know the thrill of diving over the couch to grab a snack before the ad break is over, the annoyance of someone speaking so you miss half a scene that you'll never get back, or the boredom of watching something you're not interested in for hours because it's the only thing on.
Especially among young people today, media engagement today is all about on demand, online streaming (Xiao, Wang & Chang-Olmsted, 2018). In fact, most teenagers are viewing and watching using methods that didn't exist when they were born (Resnikoff, 2017)! One librarian using music as a method of bringing students into the library noted the change from CDs to downloading to streaming, as the sheer range of music on streaming services, as well as the ability to make and share playlists made enjoying music together convenient and fun (Pritchard, 2010). That convenience is a major factor in engagement with streaming services.
Users of streaming services can view and listen to whatever media they like, wherever, and whenever they want, with the use of their mobile devices. While youth generally have access to TV sets today since they still live at home, most of their media engagement is done on their phones (Premack, 2018). There's also the fact that streaming is cost effective. If they are prepared to listen to occasional advertisements (tailored to their interests based on their browsing and listening history), music streaming apps generally offer a free service, or a small monthly fee to listen ad free. Streaming TV and movies is also cost effective, and a reasonable monthly fee allows seemingly endless hours of viewing. As Resnikoff (2017) pointed out, it's all about money and mobility. In a world where young people are growing with all of this available to them, they simply don't see the point of watching cable TV or using CDs (Mcalone, 2017).
Business Insider Australia published a small scale study that showed how teens view TV shows and movies. According to the study, 62% of teens watch via streaming sources such as Netflix and Stan, 31% stream them on YouTube, 5% do not view them regularly, and only 2% watch on cable TV (Premack, 2018). While these statistics may have a particular kind of impact on the business world, their impact on teen and family well-being may be positive. Netflix recently undertook a study into the impact of viewing on the relationships between teens and their parents. According to the study, parents of teens often watch youth-orientated programs to feel closer to their children, and 74% of teens responded that like to discuss these shows with their parents, to help them understand what they are facing in their own lives (Postmedia News, 2017). Importantly, 70% of teenagers and 89% of parents feel that watching together is a bonding experience (Postmedia News, 2017). Similarly in the world of music, teens enjoy plugging their phones into the car stereo and sharing music together with their families. While it can be hard to find a radio station everybody is happy with, the world of music streaming offers such an incredible range of choices that teens and parents are enjoying sharing music which both of them can enjoy (Leight, 2019).
No matter how slowly the rest of us may be to take up the change, youth are engaged in streaming their entertainment almost exclusively. In my home we are on the path of transition, with some of us more eager than others to leave our CD collections behind and embrace online streaming. My wife was less than eager for us to purchase a smart TV so we could stream our entertainment, and seems determined not to like it, but our kids are growing up and I'm sure we'll be all online soon. This is an area though, where I stand solidly with the young people of today - cost effective convenience, what's not to love?
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| (Image from Giphy) |
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| (Image from Giphy) |
Especially among young people today, media engagement today is all about on demand, online streaming (Xiao, Wang & Chang-Olmsted, 2018). In fact, most teenagers are viewing and watching using methods that didn't exist when they were born (Resnikoff, 2017)! One librarian using music as a method of bringing students into the library noted the change from CDs to downloading to streaming, as the sheer range of music on streaming services, as well as the ability to make and share playlists made enjoying music together convenient and fun (Pritchard, 2010). That convenience is a major factor in engagement with streaming services.
Users of streaming services can view and listen to whatever media they like, wherever, and whenever they want, with the use of their mobile devices. While youth generally have access to TV sets today since they still live at home, most of their media engagement is done on their phones (Premack, 2018). There's also the fact that streaming is cost effective. If they are prepared to listen to occasional advertisements (tailored to their interests based on their browsing and listening history), music streaming apps generally offer a free service, or a small monthly fee to listen ad free. Streaming TV and movies is also cost effective, and a reasonable monthly fee allows seemingly endless hours of viewing. As Resnikoff (2017) pointed out, it's all about money and mobility. In a world where young people are growing with all of this available to them, they simply don't see the point of watching cable TV or using CDs (Mcalone, 2017).
 |
| (Image from Giphy) |
Business Insider Australia published a small scale study that showed how teens view TV shows and movies. According to the study, 62% of teens watch via streaming sources such as Netflix and Stan, 31% stream them on YouTube, 5% do not view them regularly, and only 2% watch on cable TV (Premack, 2018). While these statistics may have a particular kind of impact on the business world, their impact on teen and family well-being may be positive. Netflix recently undertook a study into the impact of viewing on the relationships between teens and their parents. According to the study, parents of teens often watch youth-orientated programs to feel closer to their children, and 74% of teens responded that like to discuss these shows with their parents, to help them understand what they are facing in their own lives (Postmedia News, 2017). Importantly, 70% of teenagers and 89% of parents feel that watching together is a bonding experience (Postmedia News, 2017). Similarly in the world of music, teens enjoy plugging their phones into the car stereo and sharing music together with their families. While it can be hard to find a radio station everybody is happy with, the world of music streaming offers such an incredible range of choices that teens and parents are enjoying sharing music which both of them can enjoy (Leight, 2019).
No matter how slowly the rest of us may be to take up the change, youth are engaged in streaming their entertainment almost exclusively. In my home we are on the path of transition, with some of us more eager than others to leave our CD collections behind and embrace online streaming. My wife was less than eager for us to purchase a smart TV so we could stream our entertainment, and seems determined not to like it, but our kids are growing up and I'm sure we'll be all online soon. This is an area though, where I stand solidly with the young people of today - cost effective convenience, what's not to love?
References
Leight, E. (2019, March 25). Teens are teaching their parents to stream, and radio is nervous. Rolling Stone. Retrieved from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/teens-are-teaching-their-parents-to-stream-and-radio-is-nervous-806888/
Mcalone, N. (2017, May 2). Young people spend about twice as much time watching Netflix as live TV, and even more time on YouTube. Business Insider Australia. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com.au/teens-watching-netflix-youtube-more-than-tv-2017-5?r=US&IR=T
Postmedia News. (2017). Telly with Melly: Parents, teens bond over shows, says Netflix study. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1892044061/fulltext/1C7E30AA59454791PQ/1?accountid=13380
Premack, R. (2018, June 22). We asked 100 teens how they watch television - and the results should horrify cable companies. Business Insider Australia. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com.au/youtube-netflix-teen-generation-z-moving-away-from-cable-2018-6?r=US&IR=T
Pritchard, K. (2010). Let's get this party started. School Library Journal, 56(3), n/a.
Resnikoff, P. (2017, September 1). Somebody asked 13-17 year olds how they listen to music. Half the answers didn't exist when they were born. Digital Music News. Retrieved from https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2017/09/01/13-17-year-olds-listen-music/
Xiao, M., Wang, R., & Chang-Olmsted, S. (2018). Factors affecting YouTube influencer marketing creditability: a heuristic-systematic model. Journal of Media Business Studies, 15(3), 188-213.
Leight, E. (2019, March 25). Teens are teaching their parents to stream, and radio is nervous. Rolling Stone. Retrieved from https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/teens-are-teaching-their-parents-to-stream-and-radio-is-nervous-806888/
Mcalone, N. (2017, May 2). Young people spend about twice as much time watching Netflix as live TV, and even more time on YouTube. Business Insider Australia. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com.au/teens-watching-netflix-youtube-more-than-tv-2017-5?r=US&IR=T
Postmedia News. (2017). Telly with Melly: Parents, teens bond over shows, says Netflix study. Retrieved from https://search.proquest.com/docview/1892044061/fulltext/1C7E30AA59454791PQ/1?accountid=13380
Premack, R. (2018, June 22). We asked 100 teens how they watch television - and the results should horrify cable companies. Business Insider Australia. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com.au/youtube-netflix-teen-generation-z-moving-away-from-cable-2018-6?r=US&IR=T
Pritchard, K. (2010). Let's get this party started. School Library Journal, 56(3), n/a.
Resnikoff, P. (2017, September 1). Somebody asked 13-17 year olds how they listen to music. Half the answers didn't exist when they were born. Digital Music News. Retrieved from https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2017/09/01/13-17-year-olds-listen-music/
Xiao, M., Wang, R., & Chang-Olmsted, S. (2018). Factors affecting YouTube influencer marketing creditability: a heuristic-systematic model. Journal of Media Business Studies, 15(3), 188-213.
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