Not too long ago, TV viewing used to be a communal, family experience. It
was by appointment; everyone would gather in front of the small screen at the time our
favourite programmes were scheduled to be broadcast. There was no option to fast-forward,
rewind, pause, or catch up on missed episodes.
Today, this seems like an archaic way of consuming content, as technology has
given us greater control over what we watch and when we watch it. Using personal devices
people can now consume and create content that is tailored to their individual interests.
These dramatic shifts, supported by technology, were driven by the force of a
generation, youths that had grown up in the digital world. It was where they worked and where
they played. In the late 1990s, they were the teenagers who “discovered” SMS. (Text messaging
took off when they started to explore their hand-me-down cell phones). Later they spawned the
iPod revolution and the social media revolution, and they continue to shape the way we consume
media today.
Today’s empowered consumers have increasingly demanded:
- Mobility: They want to consume media wherever and whenever, as mobile devices
changed their waiting time to viewing time.
- Individualistic experience: Social TV viewing is rapidly fading away.
- Attractive fees: With so much content on the net that is available
for free, subscribers are not willing to pay high premiums for media
services.
When eyeballs moved online, advertising followed. Traditional television and
radio are no longer as popular as they used to be, and digital advertising spend has overtaken
TV since 2017.
Overall, these consumer trends and technological advancements have transformed
the way we consume media, and it is likely that they will continue to shape the industry for
years to come.
