As human beings, we all have an innate desire for entertainment. After navigating the trials and tribulations of life, trying to make our plans work, and dealing with life in general, all of us want to kick back and relax. For some people, relaxing means taking a nap, sitting with their family, or watching their favorite TV show. Entertainment as a whole has evolved over several centuries, adapting to time and technology. In the modern digital age, we are at a point where the internet dominates many aspects of our lives – entertainment is the same.
As the internet became faster and data caps were a thing of the past, we saw our entertainment evolve as well. Thanks to high-bandwidth internet connections, a variety of different activities have become possible. Among these, you have on-demand entertainment, streaming, and gaming among many others. This article will expound on how internet-based entertainment has evolved, its current state, and what the future holds.
The Current State of Internet-Based Entertainment
In the current state of internet-based entertainment, you have a variety of on-demand content platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime TV, Hulu, and Disney Plus. These platforms host a variety of legacy content along with several original productions, most of which have avid fan followings. With on-demand content, you get to watch what you want to, when you want to watch it. You can watch it on a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or PC simply by having an internet connection that can keep up. By opting for a Spectrum deal, you can get your hands on a high-value, competitively priced, and incredibly powerful internet bundle!
Besides on-demand content, we have seen a surge in gaming. Being one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, there are several trends that prove just how far it has come. These include:
- Cloud Gaming
- Mobile Gaming
- Social Gaming
- Esports
- Streaming Platforms
- Extended Reality
- Cross-Platform Gaming
Many of these trends leverage the power of the internet which has taken gaming to the next level. Cloud gaming allows you to play a game without using high-end hardware. You play off the cloud, using hardware in a different place. Other types of gaming encourage a sense of community that allows people to play together – in person or in different places.
With Esports, gaming has now become a competitive realm with massive prize pools. Professional gamers are known as Esports athletes. This is one of the fastest-growing industries out there with millions of people tuning in to watch their favorite gamers playing for bragging rights, trophies, and money. Once again, all of this is possible thanks to the internet for allowing different people to effortlessly game, communicate, and share information. This is only one small slice of the pie with several different other flavors on offer.
The Future of Internet-Based Entertainment
When talking about the internet, it is always important to highlight where the future is headed. The internet not only changed the past, but it also revolutionized the present and is laying the foundation for the future. With internet-based entertainment, the future stands to be influenced by changes in consumer behavior, changing market dynamics, and various advancements in technology. Each of these will drive internet-based entertainment further into the future. A few of the trends that have emerged include:
Streaming Video
As on-demand video continues to change the landscape of entertainment, we will slowly see the complete eradication of traditional cable. There will be a shift from older technology towards on-demand streaming services that allow you to see what you want when you want to. Moreover, this space already has immense competition from the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime TV, Disney Plus, Hulu, and others. Streaming services are not only adding legacy titles, but they are also producing original content that is gaining immense popularity.
Extended Reality
The term extended reality consists of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Both of these technologies have come a long way and are now commercially available. Using them as a tool to enhance the entertainment experience is on the horizon and we already see it with games. There are several video games that one can play using a VR headset. This allows you to walk vast plains, swim in deep oceans, fight wars in space, and so much more. With AR, you can layer another world onto the existing one and blur the lines between the two. This has become a lot simpler thanks to advancements in mobile processing power and camera capabilities.
Social Media
One of the most dominant mediums of expression, social media is poised to evolve further. This time it will evolve into a full fledge entertainment destination. By leveraging the billions of users on the platform, it is ripe with potential waiting to be capitalized.
The Impact of Internet-Based Entertainment
Internet-based entertainment has proven to be a social and cultural juggernaut. It has, directly and indirectly, contributed to various changes in the social fabric of the world as we know it. For starters, it has contributed to the globalization of culture. What this means is that people have been able to watch content from all parts of the world. A common example of this is the cult-classic Money Heist. The show was originally only released in Spain. Streaming giant Netflix picked it up and turned it into one of the most-watched shows in recent times. Another example of this is Korean pop music. This genre was native to South Korea but thanks to the internet, it has become a global phenomenon. With on-demand content, we have seen a shift in the way content is consumed. Users no longer sit and watch content with lengthy ads in between. For a small price, they opt to pay for ad-free viewing, whenever and wherever they want. Other examples of this include the rise and acceptance of social media as a viable means of connection, a monumental rise in the amount of information we have access to, and also a heightened influence on identity and self-expression.
It is worth noting that these changes definitely come at a cost. In recent times, we have seen a steep decline in the number of people who watch Cable TV. Music streaming platforms such as Spotify have made it possible for you to have all your music in one place along with completely pushing portable music players into the depths of despair. At the cost of a variety of legacy technology, the internet-powered age of convenience has ushered in and brought several changes with it.
Conclusion
Seeing as technology will only get smarter, more efficient, and more powerful in the future, we will see a major change in the way we consume entertainment. Some will be built on existing technology, others will create new technology. Internet-based entertainment is one of the biggest industries in the world. It encapsulates different types of entertainment from on-demand videos, music streaming, video games, live streaming, and much more. The internet has been pivotal for the inception, rise, and progressive growth of this field. As the internet has brought it to this point, it will continue to take it further and further. The beauty of it all is how conveniently we can leverage any of these tools from the comfort of our homes. On-demand content, online gaming, and streaming are all possible on the most basic smartphones.
All you need is a strong enough internet connection to make all of this work. The good people at Spectrum offer a tremendous array of internet services for all types of users. Head on over to their website to learn more about Spectrum Internet and to join the family today!