Since the beginning of the new millennium, the ways in which we consume media have been rapidly changing. The rise of digital and online technology, in particular, has accelerated the natural evolution media consumption habits will inevitably undergo. And it seems like in just a few short years, we have experienced half a century’s worth of growth and evolution.
And with more and more of us heading online to get our daily dose of media, it seems like there is no end in sight for the quiet revolution we seem to be experiencing. But what are themain changes we have experienced in the ways we consume media, and what has the impact been across the various forms of media?
In terms of the industry’s main changes, we can note two primary shifts that underpin everything else. Firstly, we have seen a general transition from ‘physical’ forms of media to digital ones. For example, that includes the move away from CDs, DVDs, books, and physical copies of video games. Now, the bulk of media consumption occurs in a wholly digital format.
That shift from physical to digital consumption has caused another change in how we consume media, which has seen us move towards a predominantly ‘on demand’ delivery mode. This contrasts with traditional methods of media delivery where media, such as TV or films, are broadcast at specific times. In contrast, ‘On demand’ media delivery gives users access to whatever media they want at a time of their choosing. But what is the impact of these two shifts on specific forms of media?
Games
When they first burst onto the scene, video games were found predominantly in a physical setting such as an arcade. Over time, this shifted to at-home delivery, where you would purchase a physical console and then buy games to be played on it. This method of delivery dominated the industry for much of its history. In the last decade, however, thanks to the rise of high-speed internet, most games can be purchased online and downloaded straight to your console of choice. Other methods are ‘cloud’ based, such as NJ online casino, which are hosted entirely online.
News
The news industry has undergone profound changes. For much of its history, newspapers and other print media forms were completely physical, with customers buying an individual edition of a newspaper on a daily or weekly basis. Not only have we switched to predominantly online newspaper models, but the newspaper format itself is also steadily being replaced to a model where individual articles are published online and delivered through either a subscription or advertisement based model.
Media
In times past, thebulk of video and audio media was delivered through either the radio or live broadcast TV. Those delivery modes are gradually dying out. The vast majority of TV, film, and radio content is now accessed and delivered through on-demand services, with users able to access shows of their choosing whenever they want.