Whilst growing up, one thing about me has constantly stayed the same. My love for Kath and Kim, a pioneering single-camera sitcom saturated in cringe humour that myself and many other Gen Z's have come to love. It has always been my go-to series, guaranteed to lift spirits via the power of Aussie comedy. It's truly interesting to think about how much has changed from when I watched my first ever episode, 9 years ago, to how I and many others enjoy it today, with on-demand streaming on the rise. With the media effect theory in mind, it has prompted me to question if my life would be any different now, if I didn't consume this content at such an "impressionable" age.
At the ripe old age of 11, my access to media was rather limited. Live TV, possibly some basic YouTube if I was allowed on the family PC. So when a show came on TV that we all enjoyed, like Kath and Kim, it was an important occasion. We only had 1 TV as larger analogue models were being phased out, with the shift to digital. It unintentionally created a community experience. We would sit around and share laughs and quote our favourite catchphrases, such as "Look at Moiii". It was a distractor, from the stresses of my family's busy lives. It was something that brought us all together, as we all shared that same love for the characters and the show. It invited us to be active audience members, commenting on the context of various scenes and adding our own opinions. I strongly believe that shows like this, have shaped the person I am today. As Dustin Kidd stipulates in Pop Culture Freaks. "the clothing we wear, the music we listen to, and the television we watch… constitute our identities…”. This is further evident in a study by D. R. Anderson et al. (2000) who found that children who watched the television show Blue’s Clues showed significantly greater increases in prosocial behaviours than non-viewers.
Nowadays, I find myself watching Kath and Kim on Netflix, alone. With the traditional way of consuming media slowly becoming stale,- and movie theatres forced to evolve or be left in the past. Even more amplified by the last few years of lockdowns and self-isolation. Where over 80% of Australians used an on-demand streaming service. Netflix has become an easier alternative to a live audience setting. With the options of rewind, pause and the lack of rules or formalities. Allowing me to watch at night, when the streets are silent, for full immersion. It comes as no surprise that Netflix is now the largest paid-for video streaming service in the world, with 195 million subscribers. On-Demand also strongly promotes active audiences via social media. Sharing with friends, family and their followings - often inviting more people into a particular discussion than ever before.
Media audiences are changing rapidly, especially for young people. With such media variety and info available thanks to technology, people can challenge the ideas encoded in media effortlessly. It's evident that traditional media needs a re-spark to stay relevant during this cultural shift that is redefining what we call an audience.
