3 Positives and Negatives of Streaming Services

 Introduction:

I think all of us are familiar with using streaming services or use them constantly to watch our favorite tv shows and movies. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, Paramount+, Disney+, and several others continue to come into the public eye and are taking over how we watch our content. Whether on a computer, phone, tablet, or smart tv, there is always a way people can access whatever streaming service they want. There are endless amounts of shows, movies, and specials that are found at these places, and can be user friendly with recommendations based on what you watch, customization on setting for different users, and creating watchlists in case you can't find something again. Although all of this makes it seem that streaming services are the best thing ever, there are a mix of both ups and downs when it comes to streaming services with how they are changing the way we consume media but also becomes a problem with specific issues.

 Positives:

• Both old and new, endless amounts of content - Pretty much all streaming services strive in having both old shows and movies that are easier to find and access, and brand new ones that are advertised and highlighted as why they persuade people to get this streaming service to watch these specific shows. Also there can be an endless amount of things found on each one of these services, as more obscure content and hidden gems can be discovered throughout them.

• Binge-worthy content and services trying out weekly releases - The large amount of content shown can cause people to consume a lot of shows/movies in either several sittings or just one sitting. This can help with getting into this content easily as all the episodes of a new series are released in a single day, and can cause a lot of media buzz when it gets popular. However, there is also success with streaming services trying out shows releasing an episode each week (like how it originally did on TV channels but not at a specific time). The most popular example of this is Disney+ trying out weekly episode releases with their original shows. Although it would not be easy to binge, it would give time for each episode to release while viewers speculate on what will happen in the next episode of The Mandalorian or Wandavision. This has served successful for Disney, and could show that more streaming services are willing to jump onto weekly episode releases. 

• Social media helping streaming services gain popularity - With how big the internet and social interaction is online nowadays, the content on streaming services can cause a lot of discussion and share a lot about the same show. This can help boost popularity much easier and even the fan discussion can cause more to happen with a show. Most of this happens with shows on Netflix and Disney+, but it could happen to certain content on other streaming services too. These companies do advertise their services and release new trailers on social media exclusively, which can also boost discussion too.

Negatives:

• Too many to choose from; all shows are on different service - With streaming services being the norm, many different companies are starting their own streaming services to join in. Doing this has caused a lot of confusion with figuring out which one has a specific movie/show you are looking for. Years ago there were only a few streaming services that housed all different of content from different studios (mainly Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime), but with splitting all the different content into smaller services just ends up making things overwhelming for everyone.

• Lots of streaming services = too much money - As more and more services show up in the public eye, there is no doubt that many people want to get all of them so they can watch all of the new and specific content on each one. The main problem of that is the cost of a subscription. Some can be pretty up there, and paying for multiple ones is a hassle. Thankfully a few smaller services like Tubi and Peacock offer free content to everyone and bigger services offer free trials, but payment will follow soon after. As people struggle with money issues, paying for all of those streaming services is a big disadvantage.

• The death of TV - Television is slowly dying each year, as streaming services and the internet in general is the gateway of how people are accessing media nowadays. Besides some events like sports and news, live TV is become less obsolete as people continue to access that content on apps, streaming services, and even social media too. The Super Bowl still continues to gain millions of viewers each year just on TV alone, but overall things are still decreasing over the years with people continuing to drop cable boxes and focus on streaming media. Some people of older age and lower income are still relying on television for media, but in the future things might be different.

Conclusion:

We are pretty much in a streaming revolution right now, as more and more people are starting to pay for streaming services and are able to consume both old and new media at any time of the day. I think each and every one of us use one or more service for our favorite shows or movies, and want to share our experiences and thoughts on it. The rise of streaming service is still a new and innovative process, even if it started a decade ago. New services will continue to show up each and every year, and companies involved in them will continue to grow their media brand and join in the circle. Even with the problems occurring, I think streaming services will change the future of mass media no matter what.