Scary is the first word that comes to mind when I sit back and think of what the future likely holds for the world's media consumption. Truth is that I can wonder all day what the future of media will look like, only to realize decades later that I completely wasted that day! I mean c'mon, we really have no inclination as to what the next big thing will be. Do you remember anticipating the arrival of the World Wide Web?
One thing we do know is that we are in the middle of chasmic shift in how we consume media. I believe the television to be the greatest media advance of the previous century, and so far into this one it looks like the internet is next. As the world has collectively decided to hook up to the internet, and consequently almost eliminate the need for paper, we are beginning to see the deadly effects on the print media industry. In this day and age, folks would much rather read information off their laptop screens than deal with the hassle of walking to the end of the driveway to pick up the newspaper.
I personally don’t pay much attention to newspapers anymore, and after all, why should I? Why should I put down my sterling laptop and pick up some grimy, recycled paper with ink coming off on my hands? Most people seem to feel this way today—with a few simple clicks of the mouse, one can find all the information they need and much more. Except for the possibility of a Sunday edition in large markets, I do see the extinction of newspapers on the horizon, likely faster than we know.
But this only makes sense, no? With the rapid pace technology seems to be on, I can’t even imagine what this world will look like. I think television will always be there, radio too as long as people are still driving cars. However, as we are already seeing, the internet is where media consumption will be at in the future—wireless communication and information sending. I’m thinking we will see an expansion of what we’re beginning to see today with cell phones carrying live footage of sports events, televisions in automobiles, etc. It’s almost overwhelming for me to picture what I’m imagining, but I think we will see a world where media consumption is a vital part of everyday life, and people will see it that way too.
So 30 years from now I imagine a society in which one is never separated from media, nor separated from others as well. Want to watch a baseball game but you’re away from a TV set? Flip open your cell phone. Want to know what your brother in Japan thinks of the umpire’s strike call? Start a conversation with him on your phone while you both watch the same thing. In the end, that is where I think we’re headed in sports media—every event will be available to anyone who wants it, anywhere in the world at any location.
