14 DAY TRIAL // It’s a known fact that television has lost its appeal, especially among the young population who prefer watching their favorite shows online.
Watching TV and having to sit through all those commercials can be extremely annoying for someone who is used to getting whatever he wants with just a few clicks. The Internet is also overflowing with ads, but they are apparently more difficult to ignore than those on TV.
Various reports show that the world’s younger population prefers Internet to TV, and this has been a recurring phenomenon in the last few years.
The reason why they would rather spend their time online is because this way they are given the power to choose what they watch, unlike TV where they have to sit through what cable companies want.
Why YouTube is so famous among the young
And when turning to the online environment, most people go with YouTube. But TV commercials are not the only reason why teenagers chose this video-sharing website. Not only does YouTube offer more diverse content, but here they can find their favorite stars.
Nowadays, most teenagers are influenced by YouTube personalities rather than TV stars, because they believe they can relate to the former. That's probably because most YouTube stars are also common teenagers sharing their life experience with others.
As a matter of fact, in a survey conducted by Variety, the most influential people, the ones teenagers look up to, were YouTube celebrities and not famous TV stars as one would expect.
One of the reasons why teenagers feel somewhat closer to YouTube stars is because the Internet gives them the opportunity to actually communicate with them, whether it is through the comments they leave on their videos, or during fan meetings.
There are even some TV networks who work with YouTube stars or movie producers who offer them roles mainly because of their strong fanbase.
On top of that, YouTube or any other kind of social media content is more available for teenagers. Whether they are on the subway heading to school, or even during recess, they can just tune in to check what’s new online or if there are any new videos from their YouTube stars.
TV has become somewhat obsolete, given that even older people have somehow been drawn into this social media buzz. Following the steps of the younger members of the family, adults are starting to focus on getting their information from the online environment rather than from TV.
It makes you wonder if, at this rate, there is any future for television or if it will soon be engulfed by the Internet.