5 Trends in media consumption

Within the last five years, many industries have had to evolve due to advances in technology as well as increased social connectedness. Here are 10 examples of how these changes have affected media consumption:

1. Media is increasingly less physical - Music is a perfect example of an industry where technology is constantly morphing the format and delivery of the media. Analog records gave way to cassette tapes. Cassettes moved aside for Compact Discs. Within the last five years or so, MP3 files erased the need for Compact Discs. The gaming industry is also undergoing the same changes. Physical games will slowly be replaced by digital downloads of video games from digital stores.

2. Media has become portable - Continuing with the music industry example, the reason for the constant change in the format of the media is likely due to the consumer demand for portability. The Sony Walkman introduced the concept of taking music with you. That trend has continued to evolve with mp3 players, iPods, and now, smart phones. The demand for portability has forced technology to shrink the size of media formats so that the consumer can travel with his/her media.

3. Devices are connected to the cloud - Portability underwent a dramatic shift when media playing devices were able to wirelessly connect to the cloud. Not only did physical formats become digital files (eg - CD to mp3), but digital files are now becoming obsolete as well! There is no longer a need for storage of digital files when digital media can be stored in the cloud. Streaming media has been around for years, but the prevalence of wireless access will surely bring this method of media delivery into its maturity.

4. Consumers are hyper-social - MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter have connected people and ignited conversations in unprecedented ways. With this "hyper-connectedness" comes sharing of information, recommendations, and multimedia. New applications such as Pandora, Miso, Tunerfish and GetGlue, all enable end-users to broadcast and recommend multimedia content to peers of their social graph. As devices are increasingly connected to the cloud, it is easy to see how social discovery of content will affect multimedia content consumption overall. Entertainment industries such as Music, TV, and Video Gaming are beginning to understand the importance of connecting to existing social networks to generate content recommendations to consumers.

5. Fidelity and portability are no longer mutually exclusive - A few years ago, the world was introduced to High Definition Television. Back then, HDTV existed in a world of 42 to 60 inch flat panel televisions that were anchored onto the walls of media enthusiasts' living rooms. Again, the demand for portability of media has made HD and near-HD quality viewing experiences possible on hand-held monitors. Personal viewers in the form of eyewear monitors can now deliver HD and even 3D video content while immersing the viewer in a theater-like environment, even when he/she is on an airplane.