Instant-access content and the rapid evolution of technology has become a sort of boogeyman for today’s media. If you search the words ‘internet’ and ‘attention span’ into Google, you’ll find a varying torrent of articles from smaller and major news outlets attempting to debunk the attention span myth, or to prove how, in fact, the internet is destroying our collective ability to consume information. Earlier this year an op-ed in the Irish Examiner dubbed us “Generation Goldfish”, viciously criticising an increased reliance on the internet and other forms of technology which provide us with information within seconds. It claimed that even when we do visit a site for the purpose of reading – as opposed to simply checking social media – ‘we read, at most, 28% of the content during a visit, with 20% a more likely expectation.’ While the attention span myth is yet to be confirmed or debunked, the alterations to the way in which people interact with the media has undoubtedly changed; fast results and instant gratification are the mainstream operating norms of all forms of entertainment technology. It has become unavoidable; most articles these days have hijacked the trend and feature the subline of ‘X minute read’.
This cultural reliance on fast gratification has resulted in a rise of “binge” culture within the entertainment sector. The production and marketing of TV has become increasingly reliant on trendy and attention-seeking content value, as opposed to content which can withstand the longevity of several weeks of waiting. This is not to say that streaming services’ own programming would not survive under traditional broadcasting – many shows face axing after their original airing on high-demand streaming platforms. However, it does imply that the style and standard of TV is changing , creators have been forced to adapt to a televisual market wherein the time and accessibility desired by users has drastically shortened. It is not deniable; OfCom recorded in 2018 that, in the UK, ‘the number of UK subscriptions to television streaming services like Netflix has overtaken those to traditional pay television for the first time, marking a major shift in the UK’s viewing habits.’ While a variety of factors, predominantly age, play into a household’s usage of streaming services, it cannot be called into question that they now dominate the entertainment industry.
This year Netflix giant Stranger Things had a record-breaking opening weekend for its third season as over 40 million viewers tuned in to watch in the first four days. The target audience is global and, by providing all ten instalments at once, Netflix offers its customers the opportunity to binge shows in their entirety. While some likely didn’t have time to watch every episode in the space of one or two sittings, the instant accessibility of the content denies an important filtering process for viewers as they become unable to determine if what they are watching is ‘really worth the wait’. Despite this Stranger Things, one of a host of originals now offered by such services, is undoubtedly a popular, high-quality show in its own right. The format of online streaming automatically lends itself to a younger viewing demographic, with which comes a need to cater for a set demographic. This, in turn, has spawned a new Golden Age for diversity, representation and general quality of television; without the frequent updating and manufacturing of programmes for services such as these, which are such high-demand platforms, Generation Goldfish would be left without much of its favourite TV and much of the hard-fought representation now appearing within mainstream media.
The means of testing good TV has traditionally been ratings, the ability for a show to capture the attention of enough people, over enough weeks, to warrant its funding. This process is ultimately lost on the majority of streaming service programming. Good TV was recognisably worth waiting for, but now, with this wait erased, discerning between good TV and what is available and easy to watch has become harder. Though good quality speaks for itself, when the process of watching TV has so irrevocably changed, what is considered good and what keeps audiences entertained will surely have to be subject to change too. Long gone are the days of waiting by the sofa at 6pm for The Simpsons, one can avail of pretty much any episode, at anytime, for any show, within moments. This seismic change in the way we consume entertainment moves away from the ‘waiting’ test of traditional TV – but provides, in a way that programmed television never could – a far more varied, fast paced scope for televisual opportunities.
This change in the experience of watching TV doesn’t only apply to the amount of time spent or the frequency with which people watch TV. With the fecundity of streaming services’ creative teams meaning new originals are made available every week, viewers are encouraged to watch more and to do so more often. The appreciation of a TV show with a more sparse availability is inevitably somewhat lost, and replaced with a need for content one can get through quickly. Though some streaming platforms do emulate traditional broadcasting by having episodes released periodically, the majority of online viewing suspends the waiting period. Audiences are no longer subjected to the tension, excitement or frustration that comes with knowing that what you are watching will come to an end, and that you’ll have to wait to discover the next part of a series. Episodic TV loses a personal, suspenseful layer of experience when it is introduced in an instant format; the emotional tension of the viewer, no matter how gripping the drama is automatically lessened by providing access to follow up episodes and by knowing that your questions will soon be sated.
Timed television requires patience and planning; the act of watching scheduled TV becomes more of a ceremony for you or whoever you’re watching with. A release from viewing schedules does, however, draw the benefit of working around schedules for all types of people, not just those who are home or available to watch at peak times. Moreover, few exceptions to the streaming rule do exist. Love Island is an example of one of the few prominent, record-breaking shows which not only successfully survive the longevity of the traditional set-up of TV, but in fact benefit hugely from a timed experience and a necessitated waiting period.
Instant access entertainment services have unquestionably altered the specifications established by traditional television. While aspects of our relationship with TV are changing, the growing popularity of ‘marathon’ watching and the unlimited time frame offered by online streaming means that the definition of ‘watching TV’ has all-new parameters. Catch-up services mean missing episodes has become a thing of the past; streaming platforms mean missing episodes has become an obsolete idea altogether. People can watch whatever, whenever, spawning the need for a greater variety and, importantly, a greater quality of television in a booming and desperately competitive media market.
