When we were first assigned our research topics for the semester I honestly was slightly bummed at first that we landed with podcasting. I really did not know anything about podcasting. All I knew was that the iPhone came with a “Podcasts” app installed and I wish that I could delete it just so I could save space. Little did I know, podcasting has a very unique presence in the relm of digital media. The medium first appeared in 2004 and the trend in popularity has been a roller coaster consisting of huge spikes and increases in consumer interest. For the past few years we have been experiencing one of those periods where people forget if podcasts even exist anymore. But more recently we are starting to see the revival of podcasts thanks to some huge hits that are causing a lot of buzz. Specifically Serial, which has broken many records in both downloads and views. People have been saying things like “this is the greatest podcast ever made” and “A huge hit that has inspired water cooler talk and Twitter buzz”. It was not just Serial itself that created a revival movement for this once forgotten medium, it was a combination of the time period as well. From the perspective of the podcasting community, technology is their best and closest friend. Because of the advancement in technology, the “friction” associated with listening to podcasts. I really like that word friction because that really is what it is, with the increased ease of accessing podcasts. Right now if I wanted to listen to a podcast, I could find pretty much whatever my preference is at the time in about 5 minutes.

One thing that I wonder is while Serial seems to be leading this podcast revival, what is going to come next? Serial is currently still being downloaded approximately 500,000 times a day but that is eventually going to fizzle out. Are we just in the midst of an occasional increased interest in podcasting? Or is it here to stay? The technology aspect tells me that there is a better chance than in the past that podcasting will stick around for a bit but there is one important piece that is creating some issues and that is money. Money is the root of all problems right? While podcasters are passionate about what they do, they would like to see some reward for their hard work. Advertising and subscribers is where I see this going, depending on the platform the podcast is on listeners will either have to pay for their subscription on a per month or year basis or get bombarded with ads. That is just the reality of today’s world, as soon as people start to show some interest, someone wants to be compensated for it. I cant blame the podcasters though I would feel the same way.

After going through the research of the podcasts revival I am proud to say that I am an avid podcast listener. Like many, I started with Serial and was instantly hooked. Then I began to search for podcasts based on my interests which led me to start listening to many podcasts that revolve around what is going on in the sports world. I discovered that professional athletes have their own podcasts which I am a huge fan of. I used to dread driving from my hometown in New Jersey to UMass because it was 4 hours of listening to music by myself. Now I cant wait to jump in the car for hours because I know that I will be able to become fully invested in a podcast and I will be perfectly content.

Television has come a very long way. Both the physical T.V itself and its content have made great strides even in just my lifetime. We have gone from seeing these huge black boxes sitting in our living rooms to paper thin screens hanging on the walls. There is no question that the internet streaming craze has made us wonder whether we would ever need to spend money on cable ever again. While cable companies might be taking a hit, I think the actual television is something that will always be around or at least remain relevant for a long time. I believe that overtime we will be seeing the T.V used simply as a medium to watch these internet streaming sites.

The funny thing about this argument is that one person’s viewing habits can differ entirely from someone else’s and that greatly influences what medium they are using to watch their shows. For example, if you have a sports fan who is trying to watch the Celtics, most of the time you’re going to find he/she in front of a traditional television watching the game live. If you’ve got someone who loves binge watching shows for hours, you will find him/her most likely in front a laptop or computer screen using Netflix, Hulu, and more recently into the business of online streaming is Amazon. The one advantage that T.V still has over internet streaming is the live events. For viewers who enjoy watching live programs such as the news, award show, or sporting event, traditional television has the upper hand.

The never ending advancement in technology is playing huge role in the movement away from traditional television. The reduced friction in accessing these streaming sites is a direct effect of newer technology and as a result, we are moving farther and farther away from traditional television. The ability to view programs on demand wherever and whenever you want is the primary competitive advantage that internet streaming has over the television. Cable providers do offer on – demand viewing, but the selection is very limited compared to a Netflix or a hulu for more of a price. More recently I have been running into these smart TVs where you can access these internet streaming sites. This in my opinion was a great move for TV companies, this is the kind of thing that they need to do in order to stay relevant as medium for consumers to watch.

Being a business major I found it interesting to see how this shift from traditional television is impacting the industry. One article on a trading website refers to the act of not using cable anymore as “cord cutting”. They brought up a good point that I had never thought of. Customer service is a large part of the cable TV industry and they currently rank among the worst in customer service scores. Internet streaming is little to no interaction with people on the phone which can be very tedious. Two leading cable providers Comcast and Time Warner have actually capitalized on satellite and telecom providers moving toward a less aggressive expansion plan thus losing market share to the cable companies. Still, this cannot sustain itself and cord cutting will continue to exist. The transition will be slow I think due to the fact that cable TV has been a staple in households for a very long time and people will need to adjust to the new trend. Especially being an upcoming graduate of college I think the days of me paying for cable are coming very soon.

I wish I could say that my YouTube usage is diverse and interesting and anyone could look through my top video playlist and find something that appeals to them… That is most certainly not the case. I do not use YouTube all too often, I would say that I actually use it pretty sporadically and most of the times I am redirected to YouTube from various other social media sites. Though I do not use it as much as the average 22 year old male, I think that it is a great thing. I think that its funny that it has gotten to the point where much like Google, “YouTubing” something has become an acceptable verb (funny how Google owns Youtube). Aside from recreational use which is where most of my usage falls under, YouTube can be used for productive things such as how to use a financial calculator to solve time value of money problems, or instructional videos on how to catch a mouse in a house living 7 dudes and for that I am a big advocate of it. Getting into the specifics of what I use the platform for, I love sports and YouTube is a great place to watch any kind of sports highlight around. My top 15 videos, with the exception of a few songs and some movie trailers, mostly consists of sports highlights, primarily basketball. One of my favorite things to do in class when the material is a little less than exciting (never English 302), is go on ESPN.com and look at the top high school prospects for the upcoming graduating class, and since I will never pay a single cent to subscribe to ESPN INsider, I immediately look up players names on YouTube and watch them dunk or drain 3’s all over the competition. Eventually, when their doing their thing on the college level I find it cool to see how they develop from high school. Though fulfilling my sports fix is my primary use of YouTube, I do enjoy watching anything funny that is thrown in my face usually by one of my roommates. I used to find myself watching some of the people who were dubbed YouTube famous for their hilarious videos, mostly Dom Mazzetti who would make me cry laughing all the time.

I know that I don’t have the most interesting YouTube preferences, I am content in which i use it. Maybe I could make a better use of the productivity aspect of it, but realistically I never really think to. Maybe it was just the way that i was introduced to it or the timing in which i started using it. Here are my top 15 videos, if you’re not a big sports person then it will most likely will be a little dull.