EOTO - Cord Cutting

 What is Cord Cutting?

    As streaming services have risen in popularity and cable has become more expensive, consumers are starting to realize that cord cutting may be the best path for them. Cord cutting is the act of canceling regular cable or satellite television, to only have streaming services. 4 million Americans canceled their cable within the first six months of 2024.

Pros

    The main pro of cord cutting is the power of choice it gives consumers. People are able to pick what channels, shows, movies, and content they want to watch. Cable allows less choice causing customers to have limited options in what they want to watch. Streaming services allow a vast array of options along with the ability to pause, rewind, and restart something. 

    The Beginners Guide to Cord Cutting explains how most Americans can get streaming services for a more affordable cost than traditional cable. Most streaming platforms offer a free trial option which can promote consumers to try new platforms while keeping a lower budget than paying for cable. 

Many streaming services also have a live TV option. Services like Hulu and Philo give customers an opportunity to stream live television on the platform. This eliminates cost of cable while also allowing consumers to get a chance to stream a minimal amount of content that is on cable or satellite. 

Cons

    Although cord cutting has many advantages, there are many downsides. For customers who don't want the hassle of picking a show or movie, streaming services force choice. Although some streaming services offer live TV, there are limited options on streaming platforms. Depending on the customer and wants of the consumer, people who purchase streaming services should be aware the live TV options are minimal and not always available on every service.

    Having streaming services instead of cable also requires a high functioning internet connection. This could cause the price of internet to rise and become increasingly more expensive. Along with an increase in price of internet connection, streaming services could have hidden costs. Now, streaming services are requiring a higher subscription to access certain shows or movies.

Who Will Cord Cutting Effect?

    Society has already been largely impacted by cord cutting. Millions of people are moving towards streaming services and steadily away from cable, especially Generation Z. Apps like Tik Tok and YouTube cater to a lower attention span allowing users to flip through videos instantaneously. Generation Z has grown up with shows and networks of their choosing only being streamed on certain platforms. This gives the ability for the younger generations to pick and choose what platforms they feel they need. 

    The rise in cord cutting from younger generations could lead to a massive end in the cable industry causing it to become close to nonexistent and lose relevance. However, streaming services like Hulu and Netflix will gain immense financial benefit from the uproar of cord cutting.

    As younger generations have preferred cord cutting, older generations may suffer. Cable has been a staple in many households which allowed people to easily access it. The uprise of streaming services could cause a learning curve for older generations or prompt their favorite shows to only be available on a streaming service. Although cord cutting essentially hurts older generations, it could cause cable to become less expensive and motivate older generations to keep their subscription. 

    My family has participated in cord cutting for as long as I can remember. My mom decided to lose cable very early on and switch directly to only having Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. I believe cord cutting will become increasingly more popular and newer generations will want to stick to streaming platforms.