Download killed the video star

06 July 2015 - 02:08 By Leonie Wagner

Will watching television become a distant memory, like VHS video tapes? According to a recent report, US teenagers of between 12 and 17 are leading the TV funeral procession.Nielsen's quarterly total audience report revealed that over the past five years the time teens spent watching television dropped more than 25%.Four years ago the report showed that this age group spent more than 24 hours a week watching television. Now it's less than 18 hours.Will this trend filter down to South African teens?According to media expert Arthur Goldstuck, it is only among the "privileged" that there is less television viewing. This is due to smart phones and tablets.Goldstuck said: "It's not that people aren't interested in television, it's more the case that there are other options."In South Africa, you are still being told what to watch, when to watch it and how. But that will change, especially among those who are more connected."For example, Game of Thrones fans either had to overdose on energy drinks and set their alarms to watch the express from the US episodes at 3am or wait days for it to air in the evening.Lots of fans chose to either stream or download the fantasy series.Luckily, television viewing figures are protected by the country's slow broadband and high data costs."Traditional television is still safe, but as data costs come down, younger viewers will migrate from television," Goldstuck said.There is still time before the growing video internet streaming service Netflix officially becomes available in South Africa.The on-demand streaming service is expected to become legally available by the end of next year...

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