The Biggest Success Stories In Physical to Digital Domination
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Jul 5 2019, 8:07 AM
Humans are tactile creatures. We enjoy holding something, touching something, even if doing so affords us no real reward. This is the reason there is always a need for ‘Do Not Touch” signs, and it is why so many of us love holding a book, rather than scrolling down a page.
That said, we are also creatures who value convenience. The older we get, the more frustrated we become with physical goods. Combined with the ubiquity and ease of digital technology, this has led many of us on an exodus to abandon the traditional for the contemporary.
So what are the biggest success stories when it comes to our turning away from the physical, and which are still gaining electronic steam?
Television and Film
Perhaps the most obvious success story when it comes to digital comes from the modern explosion of streaming. Time was, you used to have to go visit a rental store to find a film to watch, and watching television required you to be a slave to a station’s timetable.
Today, catching up on your favourite films and television shows is as simple as using Hulu or Netflix. The appeal of watching what you want when you want is simply a more convenient choice. Knowing this, its little surprise that streaming services have recently overtaken pay TV subscriptions in popularity.
Gaming
The development of digital gaming may have started off slow, but there is no denying its current popularity. Today, electronic gaming is worth billions of dollars annually while still growing. No longer confined to certain times of day, weather, or transport, the advantages of modern games are undeniable. Multiplayer gaming is a big winner here, but it is far from the only success story.
While we tend to think of traditional video games when it comes to gaming, online casinos are also an enormous industry of growth. These come in many forms, from roulette to craps and, as with the Paddy Power Daily Jackpot slots, can offer enormous prizes. Millions to win, and without the need for travelling to a real casino, or the wearing of pants, success here was only a matter of time.
Books and Magazines
It is true, we prefer holding physical prints over reading digital screens. However, it is also true that we can't carry dozens of books or magazines in our bags with us, as we can with a single device as simple as a tablet or Kindle. In fact, even the lower end of these devices can store thousands of books, which is an advantage far too great to ignore.
This is helped by a move by many publishers to offer their products in digital forms, and often at cheaper prices than with print media.
It would be foolish to claim that digital would or will ever replace the want or need for physical media. Whether through nostalgia, or limited digital viability, the world is big enough for the two to coexist. That said, the current trajectory is one where the digital is taking an increasingly large piece of the pie.
It’s not without its own frustrations or issues, that much is for certain, but it’s little surprise that digital seems to be taking over.
Humans are tactile creatures. We enjoy holding something, touching something, even if doing so affords us no real reward. This is the reason there is always a need for ‘Do Not Touch” signs, and it is why so many of us love holding a book, rather than scrolling down a page.
That said, we are also creatures who value convenience. The older we get, the more frustrated we become with physical goods. Combined with the ubiquity and ease of digital technology, this has led many of us on an exodus to abandon the traditional for the contemporary.
So what are the biggest success stories when it comes to our turning away from the physical, and which are still gaining electronic steam?
Television and Film
Perhaps the most obvious success story when it comes to digital comes from the modern explosion of streaming. Time was, you used to have to go visit a rental store to find a film to watch, and watching television required you to be a slave to a station’s timetable.
Today, catching up on your favourite films and television shows is as simple as using Hulu or Netflix. The appeal of watching what you want when you want is simply a more convenient choice. Knowing this, its little surprise that streaming services have recently overtaken pay TV subscriptions in popularity.
Gaming
The development of digital gaming may have started off slow, but there is no denying its current popularity. Today, electronic gaming is worth billions of dollars annually while still growing. No longer confined to certain times of day, weather, or transport, the advantages of modern games are undeniable. Multiplayer gaming is a big winner here, but it is far from the only success story.
While we tend to think of traditional video games when it comes to gaming, online casinos are also an enormous industry of growth. These come in many forms, from roulette to craps and, as with the Paddy Power Daily Jackpot slots, can offer enormous prizes. Millions to win, and without the need for travelling to a real casino, or the wearing of pants, success here was only a matter of time.
Books and Magazines
It is true, we prefer holding physical prints over reading digital screens. However, it is also true that we can't carry dozens of books or magazines in our bags with us, as we can with a single device as simple as a tablet or Kindle. In fact, even the lower end of these devices can store thousands of books, which is an advantage far too great to ignore.
This is helped by a move by many publishers to offer their products in digital forms, and often at cheaper prices than with print media.
It would be foolish to claim that digital would or will ever replace the want or need for physical media. Whether through nostalgia, or limited digital viability, the world is big enough for the two to coexist. That said, the current trajectory is one where the digital is taking an increasingly large piece of the pie.
It’s not without its own frustrations or issues, that much is for certain, but it’s little surprise that digital seems to be taking over.
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