Through the lens
THE AGE OF the Internet has allowed for downloading to run rampant. Whether it’s a film release or a new album, anything can be found after a couple of clicks—most of our iTunes playlists have illegal downloads to thank.
Our demand for free entertainment is not a new problem, but is only being exacerbated with time. The free download and streaming debate may not be new, but it’s interesting to see what the future of entertainment will be.
I’ve always been ridiculed by friends for purchasing the majority of my music through iTunes and buying whole albums instead of popular singles. Honestly though, how can you expect to get quality music, movies, and TV when you’re secretly downloading it without paying a penny? It is only when fan favourite TV shows, such as Community, are cancelled that people start to wonder what the network producers were thinking.
Our generation streams most shows online, mainly due to the fact that we don’t have time to sit down and watch TV conventionally, but these numbers are not accounted for when networks are looking at their ratings.
While this problem is unique to television, stealing content has been an issue for the music scene since the turn of the century. Artists and filmmakers have had to deal with their works being available for free online for decades.
Our Internet-obsessed culture has forced new companies to emerge and comply with our distinct media-consuming ways. New media outlets like Netflix have emerged, allowing its viewers an almost infinite selection of movies and TV shows.
Of course, this is all done for a fee. Netflix is better than streaming the newest episode of How I Met Your Mother or the latest blockbuster for free, but are new media platforms like Netflix ruining movie-going experiences?
In the article “Movies are big! It’s the cinemas that are small” (p. 10), we discuss the independent cinema scene, which is heavily affected by how we watch films electronically. Sitting in a cinema is a social experience that’s quite an enjoyable way to pass a couple of hours. But the experience that independent cinemas give disappears first, and who knows if mega chain cinemas might be next?
It’s an interesting time for the entertainment industry. The demand for entertainment is higher than ever—we see this with how many websites are playing host to our viewing habits—but the way in which we consume media has changed.
There may come a time when we’re charged monthly to stream a video or that time may never come. One thing is certain, stealing content is never cool—artists put a lot into their art. Sadly ,for the broke student, entertainment shouldn’t be free.
Sofia Hashi
(613) 562-5931
