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Streaming services have taken over the media industry, transforming the way people consume entertainment. These platforms have taken away from the experience of the theaters. While technological advancements have allowed for leisure, the question remains whether this is really a positive change.

Even with their benefits, streaming services take away from living in the present. We need to find a balance between the comfort streaming allows us and the social experience of seeing movies with a fully-engaged audience. As more people opt to watch films and television shows online, less people are inclined to go to movie theaters, leading to a decline in box office sales.

Streaming is a way to access a variety of entertainment forms. Since the development of streaming platforms like Netflix and HBO Max, there is no question that progress has been made in the quantity and availability of entertainment.

According to the New York Times, Netflix, which began streaming services in 2007, has spent $12 billion on programming this year and reached 158 million subscribers across the globe.

This growing industry has taken away from the in-person experience of viewership. There is something special about going to the theater and anxiously waiting for the previews to end. It’s the same sense of excitement that prompts us to wait a week until the next episode of a series airs on TV, or now, releases on a service.

One of my most valued experiences came from watching “The Hunger Games” in theaters. I remember the anticipation, the sound effects and the complete disbelief after each scene. A few years later, I found myself watching at home and lacked a sense of engagement and excitement.

Noah Weinberg, a Syracuse University sophomore majoring in communication and media studies major, agreed, “I personally love the theater experience. It has a fun essence, in a nostalgic way. I grew up begging my mom to take me to the movies. It’s something that I have always loved,” Weinberg said.

Overusing streaming services can also lead to unhealthy mental and physical habits. These platforms allow people to watch years of episodes within the span of a few days, a pattern popularly known as binging. According to the National Library of Medicine, binge-watching could lead to unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles, cause issues with sleep and poor relationships with others.

Binge watching has become a coping mechanism for internal struggles, and people tend to rely on never-ending shows to distract from difficult situations.

Since the beginning of COVID-19, there’s been an uptick in streaming service usage. Throughout the COVID shutdown, all forms of entertainment were only viewed on personal devices. Nationally, theaters remain closed during this duration, as well. While life has finally regained some normalcy, the long-term effects of a nationwide theater shutdown remain for the media industry. Forbes explained that heavy at-home media consumption will continue, movie theaters will become a niche pastime and viewing media in private social circles rather than public spaces will carry over.

Habits have formed and they have persisted. With theaters and public spaces continuing to reopen, it’s critical that people take advantage of public viewing spaces once again. Time away from the cinema experience should have made viewers more appreciative of what they were missing.

Bridget Overby | Design Editor

Some of my best memories come from the excitement of seeing a new movie with my friends. My friends and I anticipated the release of “Don’t Worry Darling,” and after seeing it, we debriefed the entire film for quite some time. With a world oversaturated with technology, the simple pleasure of sharing an experience with my friends outside of our houses makes all the difference, whether that’s waiting to see the next airing of your favorite television show or the excitement of seeing your favorite actor on the big screen.

Moments like these make us feel alive, and they need to continue for future generations. From growing up in a time where I waited to watch a new episode air, I felt a sense of underlying appreciation that future generations may lack.

Those in future generations should get to feel the excitement we all felt when we were left on a cliffhanger and were forced to wait for a new episode days later., or the joy of a 3D movie as the pictures jump out at you. These are art forms we cannot lose.

So, while streaming services have negatively impacted our lives, we can make efforts to preserve the viewing experience. We can continue to engage with entertainment in-person and pace ourselves when it comes to viewing content on our own. By waiting for new episodes, we can appreciate a show’s content and take in its messages. By watching movies in theaters, we broaden the cinematic experience with in-person elements. It’s beneficial to shift away from mindless streaming and return to time-honored forms of viewership.

Hannah Karlin is a Sophomore Magazine, News and Digital Journalism major. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at hekarlin@syr.edu.

Published on April 25, 2023 at 9:57 pm