TV on different devices such as phones, laptops and tablets catering to people with busy lifestyles, making for adaptable, flexible and fluid viewings.
Programme can be watched whenever and wherever you want. Even if there is no Wifi you can download programmes beforehand to watch later creating fully accessible content. Content is personalized, which is created by an algorithm based on what a viewer has previously watched. This has helped change viewing habits as few people were watching the same shows as each user's interface recommendations are different. One of the appeals of streaming services is that there are no adverts which meant that you could enjoy a whole program without interruptions. At the beginning, services would release all the programmes at once creating the phenomenon “binge watching” when a viewer watches an entire series in one week or just a day. This has impacted viewing habits as it has made some people to lose track of time and as one episode can lead to many, creating health risks such as social isolation leading to depression. It has helped form addictions, as viewers seek to finish story arcs and cliff hangers all at once, helping to decrease the social aspect for mass consumption. More recently, some providers, such as Apple and Disney release episodes weekly ensuring viewers keep coming back to the site. There is also risk that in such a litigious society as the US there could be the possibility of viewers suing providers for ill health, so releasing them weekly could avoid future lawsuits. Also, Streaming sites have created content that lets viewers decide and control what happens in a program, such as ‘Bandersnatch’ allowing the audience to actively interact with a show by choosing the main character's choices. This has created an alternative way to watch TV .Streaming has made technology like VCRs and cable decline. This is because everything is on one platform and you do not have any additional hardware such as, recorder or provide storage space for tapes. Since Covid-19, the closure of cinemas lost the box office millions, however streaming services took this as an opportunity and created a new strategy where major films were released on their services, which they charged an additional £20 to get early release access. This created a new trend allowing people to watch new movies in the comfort of their own home causing the decline of the social aspect of going to the cinema.
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