An intro to media consumption in the virtual age

This post takes a look at how smartphones and innovation has impacted media consumption.

Traditionally, the media industry is understood for being a structured and highly organised sector, with many opportunities for career development. Nevertheless, in modern-day society, the development of smart devices has caused a few major shifts in the way media is shared and delivered. Among the most prominent advancements in the media industry is the integration of mobile applications and streaming services, which have made mobile phones into the most accessible digital media devices on the market. With the capability to render video, text and audio material, mobile phones are the ideal tool for distributing and accessing media at any given time or place. The likes of the CEO of the fund that owns Euronews would acknowledge that media companies are continuously dealing with reformatting their content to prioritise smartphone ease of access. Currently, trends which are popular on social media are especially prominent for media companies to observe. Specifically, short form video and global television are getting traction for offering engaging and accessible material for audiences worldwide.

In addition to the distribution and production of digital content, media consumption habits are also being greatly influenced by technological improvements. The mobility of mobile phones has shifted the way that audiences are consuming media towards a constant and on-the-go activity. In the past, audiences would need to wait to watch or tune in to prescheduled broadcasts, which were planned by executives and run on a rigorous schedule. Instead, nowadays, consumers can view, listen or access material as and when they please. Those such as the head of the fund that is a shareholder in ITV would be able to affirm that this has led to an improvement in material production as consumers are rapidly watching programs and constantly looking for new things to enjoy.

Over the past couple of years, as society has come to be reliant on smart devices, technology has become the focus of attention for many areas of industry. The increase of mobile phones has basically improved the media industry, causing new developments in the way media is developed, distributed and consumed. Before the period of digitalisation, media has been typically consumed in standardised formats such as paper publications and television or radio transmissions. Nevertheless, more just recently, the media landscape is showing a perceptible shift towards mobile-first platforms. In addition to this shift, there has been a variety of new opportunities in media, most especially within the journalism, advertising and home entertainment sectors. The head of the fund that has a stake in Sky, for instance, would recognise that the mobile phone age has in reality, pushed the media industry to reinvent its business designs and strategies, interrupting traditional outlets and opportunities for media access and intake, with here a series of new and creative digital media examples.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *