The rate of lost media is going to skyrocket

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The physical media that we grew to depend on over the years is hastily being replaced by streaming services. We must cherish physical media.

Cassettes, VHS tapes, floppy discs, CDs, DVDs, albums, etc., are all examples of physical media. Over the decades, they have provided means by which movies, television shows, music, pictures, and videos have become a permanent staple in homes worldwide. In the modern age, there is a starkly decreased need for companies to produce these kinds of releases due to decreased consumer interest. What was once the only gateway to fictional worlds, experimental chords, or permanent reminders of important people and/or moments has surmounted to nothing more than a souvenir, collectible, or keepsake. 

This trivialization of physical media is the direct result of our technological era, which allows us to keep self-contained cameras in our pockets and stream almost anything we could dream of with the touch of our fingers. Though, I think the decreased production of physical media in an attempt for companies to “keep with the times,” will be thought of by future generations as a gross oversight resulting from the illusion of permanence. 

Lost media refers to any kind of media, though typically visual-audio media, that is believed to no longer exist because there is no way to locate copies. A commonplace form of lost media would be live streams or broadcasts done on services such as YouTube or Twitch, where the creator chooses not to archive the stream, resulting in its permanent disappearance without hope of recovery. I believe that in the next few decades, the amount of lost media will skyrocket due to streaming culture. 

While on the surface, services like Spotify, Hulu, Netflix, Apple Music, YouTube, and e-stores for video games can be seen as nothing more than the logical next step in streamlining accessibility and increasing company profits, I feel this perspective neglects longevity. While cutting production costs by not creating physical copies of shows, movies, albums, or video games might seem like a smart man’s business decision now, when times change once again, and the world moves away from streaming services and onto the next big and better way to consume this media; media that only exists as an extension of streaming services will be nothing but a memory of the few. 

The scary truth is, if Netflix went bankrupt tomorrow, there would be no way for the general public to watch any of their Netflix Originals. Yes, that would mean goodbye to Stranger Things (2016-2025) and goodbye to Bridgerton (2020- ). In this scenario, not even in the streaming-service-glorified-tennis-match kind of way, but in a way, you never get to enjoy the thrills and devastations of either of these pop culture classic series again. Think about the annoyance and despair you feel while waiting for a movie to return to a streaming service; now imagine if that was permanent. When, not if, the death of streaming arrives, that is what will be waiting for us. 

Appreciate your favorite modern indie albums a little more tonight, and maybe order a DVD set of your favorite show. While it may seem useless or trivial now, someday, that might be the only way to enjoy the media that meant the most to you over your formative years.