Entertainment on Demand

Wide-spread popularity of smartphones along with increased bandwidth of wireless communication have allowed audiences to engage in entertainment media virtually anywhere (and at any time).

What do you think about this, is it a good thing or a bad thing?

I think it can be both good and bad depending on the situation you place it in. Obviously, if you are in a setting that requires undivided attention then it's bad. If you are on a seven hour road trip then it's awesome because Spotify, Youtube or anything else can keep you busy for hours. We are the first group of people to have access to hot and cold media is available 24 hours a day. But this great thing we are getting to experience is going to create some enemies as the industry attempts to find ways to profit off of it or others who find issue with something and will push to control it. After all, nothing in life comes free. Unfortunate.

Obviously there may be some long term issues regarding the way people deal with a lack of access or a denial of instant gratification but I feel pretty confident in thinking that's probably on an individual basis. A lot of the people I served with have no issues being without their phones or any technology other than a walkie. On the other side of that coin though, then I've seen people here at Southern have a meltdown because their phone died and they forgot to bring a charger. Calm down people, it's not that serious.

I personally think that it can be a good thing to have access to entertainment media at any place, anytime, but at the same time, it could a problem. It is very convenient to be able to watch or listen to something whenever you want, wherever you want. For example, If someone goes on vacation and they want to keep up with their favorite shows while they are away, they can do so. It can be comforting to some people to be able to watch shows or listen to music that keep them calm or help them escape from the world if they are homesick or even stressed out. However, because people have such easy access to it, they may end up using it a little too much and become obsessed with it which may get in the way of some things. Going back to my vacation example, some people may end up spending too much time keeping up with or binge watching their favorite TV shows. This may get in the way of them spending that time with their friends or family during a time that is supposed to be fun and full of experiences. If this tool is taken advantage of, it could become a problem but, if it is used appropriately, it can be a great thing.

I found it to be very interesting that this topic had finally arisen. I most recently bought a new phone and while in the cell phone store, I overheard another individual speaking on the dependence that society has on phones and a large concern for cell phones moving over to a 5-G network. I simply laughed to myself as the initial questions did have some legitimacy. Granted, he then later try to ask for an Iphone without a front camera. However it raised a critical question, are we overly dependent on cell phones? We are currently in the age of digital media and easily access entertainment. Youtube, Netflix, Amazon video, and Hulu, just to name a few applications can all be accessed on a mobile device. Research has been arising stating that such an addiction may be causing young adults to have difficulties focusing on education. While I dislike this aspect, the educational aspect can not be ignored. Frequently, for both work and my education, I will use youtube to figure out how to resolve a difficulty. Speaking just of youtube, if a limitation was placed on entertainment, it would most likely limit my ability to look up information through youtube.

Labeling such a broad field as only entertainment, also limits the capabilities. Another great example is stress management. On youtube, there are many techniques on breathing, health advice, videos for suicide prevention, videos on managing anxiety, and even more lightheartedly, videos that are just posted to make other individuals smile and feel better about their day. I am unsure of the number or any research that supports how much these videos actually aid, however, if it is aiding in anyway whatsoever, I feel that having easier and greater access to these will always be beneficial. Speaking from personal experience, I use music when I am stressed, and being able to easily access my music anytime and anywhere, greatly assists my own life.

I also agree that it can be good or bad depending on the situation. Personally, when I'm home doing work I like to listen to sermons and podcasts and movie reviews etc. in the background on YouTube. I also watch tutorials on YouTube, especially for video, Adobe, and editing etc. When I'm driving, I don't even listen to radio. I plug the AUX into my phone and listen to music on my Spotify. Sometimes after doing a lot of work, I'll wind down with 1 or 2 episodes of a Netflix show. I'll definitely watch Netflix if I'm traveling a long distance, especially on a plane. And I'm grateful and appreciate the fact that I have access these things, but I try to be aware of how much I use it so it doesn't become a problem. If I'm hanging out with friends or talking with people, I won't go on any of these things because I'll be engaged in conversation. It can be bad when someone is on it literally all day, every day. If you watch half a season or more of a show on Netflix in one day, you might have problem because that's just too much in my opinion. If someone goes completely insane because they can't watch something on their phone, then it's becomes a problem. Especially, if it's a Netflix Original with 13 episodes, each being 45 minutes to an hour long. I can't watch more than 2 episodes of a Netflix show in one day, 3 at most depending on episode length. When you start watching something or doing something on your phone at the wrong place at the wrong time because you're THAT addicted to it, then it's a problem. I've gone to the movies and see people scrolling on their phone during the movie and in my head I'm like "You spent time and at least $13 to come to this movie and you're not even seeing it." Something I've noticed that's slightly concerning is parents giving their children, especially toddlers, phones or tablets just to keep them quiet or not have to deal with them. I feel that little children are much more prone to developing an addiction to those devices, especially at that age. I've seen kids in my church whose parents give them their phones just to keep them calm, when the kids should be paying attention to the message. If that's not handled properly at a young age, the child could be maladjusted as they get older because they're so addicted to their devices that they can't even put it down.