Comparing our Consumption
What platform or devices do students use to watch their shows and movies?
Courtesy photo from The Odyssey
It isn’t just about a Netflix show. It’s not even just about streaming through Hulu. Teens are devouring media through many platforms and services at a rapid pace in 2019.
October 1, 2019
High school teens have always been interested in media such as TV shows and movies, but recently Generation-Z have been much more invested and vocal about their media usage and the multitude of ways they stream, view and take in video and music content.
A study conducted in 2017 by the Pew Research Center showed that about 6 in 10 young adults in U.S. primarily use online streaming to watch TV, and 24% of Americans do not have a cable TV subscription. This could be due to the fact that many big name shows and spin-off series with lots of hype around them have started releasing only through streaming options.
Atticus Soad, a senior at Maize South High School, uses a streaming website called Kiss Anime to watch Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, his favorite show of all time.
“I use Kiss Anime to watch my shows online since it is free and has some interesting ads on the sides of the pages which always keeps my immersion levels at top notch,” Soad said. “ My favorite show of all time is Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure because it has its own distinct style and it doesn’t take itself to seriously, which allows it to have some amazing and absurd fights.”
While some students regularly watch their entertainment programs at home, some may not have the option to do so. Senior Kevyn Rivera takes in his media on the go and in between classes whenever he can.
“Money is very much an issue for me, so I can’t afford any TV or streaming services,” said River. “Which is why I resort to only being able to watch TV at public places like when I’m at school, or at Walmart.”
While most students try to limit themselves to just a single platform for movie and TV streaming and aren’t huge fans of using multiple devices and platforms, Addison Manzoor, senior, has bought into using multiple media options so he doesn’t miss out on his favorite shows.
“I use Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video and a few others just so I can make sure that I’m not missing out on any shows that might not be on other platforms, which is really important to me,” Manzoor said.
