With So Much Good Media How To Prioritize What To Watch?
Image Source: PC Mag
As a proud member of Generation X, I can attest to the overwhelming feeling we have in the sheer number of media available to consume nowadays. Growing up (when allowed in the house), we had one television set you had to get up and walk to to change the channel. With rabbit ear antennas, we picked up three, maybe four channels. When we got cable, we had around thirty. Fast forward, and here we are with seemingly endless options. There are 300+ channels via cable/satellite and numerous streaming platforms that allow for the latest and greatest of shows and movies, as well as television and film favorites of the past, to be enjoyed on any device you prefer whenever you want to view them.
To begin prioritizing the media to partake in, one could take the time to jot down the titles and genres they watch. After a week, you can note what channels and/or streaming platforms you gravitate toward. With so much good media, how do you prioritize what to watch? It comes down to viewer preferences. Are you a fan of binge-watching episodes all at once, or do you prefer the weekly new episode? It appears that streaming networks are testing the waters of those viewer preferences. For example, millions of fans waited on the edge of their seats for Tuesday night drops of the highly anticipated Star Wars small-screen episodes of Ahsoka. We did it again on Thursdays for the second season of everyone’s favorite mischief maker, Loki. Yet Marvel Studios gifted fans with all five episodes of Echo simultaneously. Streamers are learning along with viewers what works and what doesn’t, hence issues such as price increases, plans with tiers where you can choose to pay more for ad-free content or multiple device use, etc.
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Step one in deciding what to watch is realizing that the choice is personal. What do you like? Take the time to list the shows and movies you have watched. Then, make yourself a wish list of what titles you think you are most interested in. For some, this will be enough. You can then take that list and investigate the networks/platforms where these titles are found. An overwhelmed television viewer took to Reddit to pose the question we are addressing here around the start of the pandemic. A few Redditors made helpful suggestions for people who need to feel more organized. For the personality that likes to feel organized yet spontaneous, one comment suggested using an app typically used by teachers called Popsicle. Teachers use it to choose students/groups randomly. The idea is to place titles on the sticks and then let them randomly suggest titles.
Image Source: The Guardian
Another suggestion on Reddit was to use a tracking app to help stay organized (many can be found on both Apple’s App Store and Google Play, respectively). The Redditor specified that you could prioritize by binging favorites. Then, when the app notifies you of a current title with a new episode drop, you could prioritize that one first. Some Redditors on the thread expressed interest in binging instead of approaching weekly episode releases more linearly. At the same time, another made lists of streamers and network preferences to prioritize views, completing one network before moving on to another.
In the quest for what to watch, we also must weigh the options of service providers/platforms. It is always best to do your research and note the cost. Today’s consumer market platforms have bundling deals and tiers for viewer consideration. Regardless of your approach or the plethora of options available, remember that the purpose of all media is entertainment, so be sure not to lose sight of that when choosing what to consume.
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