The Take-over of Hulu

Never in the history of technology and media has there been a time where people have access so much information all at once. We live in an age where powerful corporations own the majority of the world, and therefore hold power over a lot of the receivers of this media. With such an influx of new media, one question comes quickly to mind. Do we comprise the messages that we receive by only using a few forms of media?

Hulu, the online television tycoon, has changed the way that people all over the world are viewing TV programs. It has become a one-click-away hot spot for people to view television programs ranging from ABC to HBO. Recently, Hulu has expanded its reign even further by its recent addition of Disney channel programs. Not only does Disney own a lot of other networks that will now be available to viewers on Hulu, but the audience for this website is becoming ageless.

I remember waking up on Saturday mornings, eating a bowl of cereal in front of the TV, watching cartoons. I have an eight year old younger brother, and our ten year age difference makes his Saturday mornings very different from my experience. When he wakes up on a Saturday, he still has his bowl of cereal, but instead of making his way to the couch, he plops himself into my mother’s office chair and goes straight to Hulu. Not only can he navigate the site himself and figure out exactly which program he wants to watch, but he can do it better than I can.

This is not a rare occurrence for young kids of his age. Children his age have grown up in an environment where media is constantly morphing into new and “easier” forms. Kids his age are used to the warp speed in which they can access media, and as a result they have no patience waiting for slower forms. I like to think of my generation (current young adults) as the “in between” generation. Granted, most of us read the news online instead of through a newspaper, and most of us micro-manage our lives with the help of an iPhone or Blackberry, but we still like to wait for certain things. For example, I still like to watch real television, sometimes even tolerating commercials. However, with the large technology corporations tailoring to an ever-evolving audience, speed is the key. Any program on Hulu can be accessible within about a minute. I however, am under the impression that good things are worth waiting for, and sometimes instant gratification is not the most rewarding route. Sure, if you are in a time crunch or a television is nowhere to be found, Hulu is a Godsend. But other than that, I like to remember my roots and plop down on the couch with a big bowl of cereal.