Are college students still tuning into live television?

By Jessica Ferrarelli
November 11, 2016

Technology today is changing the way consumers receive their entertainment. With cheaper and more convenient alternatives at their fingertips, such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime, college students are turning away from live television, but not completely.

Photo by Jessica Ferrarelli
Photo by Jessica Ferrarelli

According to an article from Pew Research Center, “young adults are the least likely age group to have a cable or satellite subscription. Some 65 percent of those ages 18 to 29 have cable or satellite service at home, compared with 73 percent of adults ages 30 to 49 and 83 percent of those 50 or older.”

Krista Mosco, a marketing major at Cabrini University, watches television about three times per week but utilizes online options much more.

“I watch Netflix a lot,” Mosco said. “I just usually watch it before I go to bed at night.”

Pew Research Center also reported that “some 75 percent of young adults without a cable or satellite subscription say they can access content they want to watch either online – perhaps by binge watching their favorite shows through an online service like Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime – or via an over-the-air antenna.”

When asked to choose between live television and Netflix, Mosco did not hesitate to choose Netflix. She also mentioned that it is reasonably priced for college students.

“It’s a way better alternative than buying cable. It’s so much cheaper,” Mosco said.

Julia Porter, a senior psychology major at West Chester University, is among those who continue to watch television regularly. Although she does not have an account herself, she sees the benefit in having Netflix.

“I think that Netflix is a wonderful tool and I think that it has become a kind of cultural phenomenon within the past several years,” Porter said. She adding that high school and college students use the shows they watch to relate to one another.

Nielsen recently put out their “Total Audience Report” for the second quarter of 2016. They reported that in quarter two of 2016, 18 to 24 year olds watched an average of 15 hours and 5 minutes of live and DVR television per week. While in quarter two of 2015, the same age group watched 16 hours and 26 minutes. Over a year, time spent watching television per week decreased by over an hour.

Carla Solano, a junior political science and English major at Cabrini University, does watch television but she watches less due to her busy school schedule. Though she does watch live television, Solano takes advantage of the Internet to catch up on shows.

“I think live TV is just so much harder. At least online you can work it into your schedule, where as live TV you have to work your schedule around it,” Solano said.

Photo by Jessica Ferrarelli
Photo by Jessica Ferrarelli

Although the amount of minutes college-age students are tuning into live television is decreasing, television still holds one of the top spots for entertainment. Nielsen reported that, among the United States population, 93 percent use television monthly, trailing close behind radio at 97 percent.

Emily Cap, a nursing student at Delaware Technical School, watches television about an hour a night. She said that the television is sometimes on in the background while she is doing other activities but she does watch when she arrives home from class.

“I watch TV to decompress after my day to relax,” Cap said.

Cap finds value in both streaming and live television.

“Cable allows me to watch new content as does Hulu, but Netflix has the old tried-and-true favorites and it has whole seasons,” Cap said.

Though Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime are popular options around college age due to price and convenience, television watching does not appear to show any significant declines that would suggest it going out of style any time soon.

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Jessica Ferrarelli

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