I remember about 15 years ago, I would struggle to figure out where to get my news played in the morning.
My favorite thing to do first thing in the morning is turn on the news and discover what new things happened while I slept.
That might be dorky but that’s a crucial part of my morning routine.
Today, I was talking to my 15 year old as I turned to my favorite app to look for some of my favorite news videos. I suddenly realized that my habit of turning to YouTube for my news was so normal that it felt like the days of when I would turn on basic cable to “catch” the news.
I remember a time even further than 15 years ago, simply turning on the TV as a young girl and the news would be right there. There wasn’t a cable box. These were the days that I lived with my grandmother who (along with my Mom), instilled a love for keeping up with the news and current events.
My grandmother’s TV in Alabama simply had antennas behind it that you’d have to adjust every now and then to get a clearer picture. But, nothing else. No cable boxes, routers or anything else to watch my favorite shows.
Now, we have YouTube.
For now, YouTube is free for basic viewing. YouTube has essentially become the new basic cable. You don’t have to pay for it, unless you count paying for the internet to access YouTube. But, that would be like saying you have to pay for electricity to watch basic cable. The cost of the Internet is so minute as it relates to watching YouTube as opposed to all the other reasons you’d use the Internet that it’s not even worth mentioning.
Over the last 2 decades, I have paid for cable in my house maybe the total of 1–2 years.
When I go to people’s homes and they still have cable, it’s like stepping into the past and seeing an A-track system in someone’s house. The cable box appears so cumbersome and out of place. My family has smart TVs, so even seeing the cable box is too much clutter for my mind to process.
Did I mention that I’m a Millennial and a minimalist? I like to try to Feng shui my way out of everything. My mind works best with less obstacles.
I will never get cable again and I believe many networks knew that many of their old subscribers weren’t ever coming back.
Now, most networks have a streaming option available that consumers can add on in any number of apps, such as, Hulu and Amazon Prime.
Technology has really shaken things up in the last couple of decades in so many ways. I’m getting older but I plan to remain open-minded and continue to embrace tech as it becomes more refined and more advanced.
Tech will forever be evolving. Tech is always changing. Change is scary to some but, to me, change is necessary for growth which means that change is good.
