In a presentation to advertisers, Ted Harbert, the chairman of NBC, expressed his distaste over using DVRs to skip commercials by saying, “This is an insult to our joint investment in programming, and I’m against it.” Harbert is expressing an industry-wide phobia among broadcast networks. In my opinion, Harbert’s statement is necessary in order to show support for NBC’s investors. But, I feel that advertiser’s know how much our world today is revolved around consumer’s wants and tastes, especially in their area of expertise. DVR’s are such a widely used and commonly owned product in this day and age, that it is routine to skip through every commercial to get to the actual show you are trying to view. However, this does not restrain brilliant advertisers from getting their products in the public eye. Just like the invention of DVR, our technology is evolving every day. Things are not the same as they were when you didn’t have a choice but to watch live TV including each and every commercial that came along with it. But now with the innovation and popularity of many social networks on the internet, commercials can be viewed online where viewers can enjoy them, share, tweet, and like them. This creates a virtual buzz and viewers can choose which commercial or product they would like to watch or learn about and they are able to view the catchy advertisement as many times as desired. I feel that the industry should accommodate the preferences consumers, instead of relying on traditional methods that viewers were forced into watching. The hesitation to embrace evolving technology is harming the advertising industry. Mr. Harbert’s viewpoint, respectfully, is imprecise. It is apparent that the classic way of viewing television and consuming advertising has changed. Advertisement companies’ efforts should be directed towards promoting modern, cutting –edge, innovative products and interactions. The DVR and television programming viewing habits of consumers have impacted commercial revenue; but it is ultimately an opportunity for broadening the viewership audience.
In this day and age, digital and online textbooks are becoming more and more popular. My opinion on this topic is not completely one sided. From personal experience, I have reaped the benefits of both. A reason why I consider traditional textbooks to be more efficient is because you have a physical copy in your hands. It forces you to actually do the reading and grasp the material. You can bring your book with you to study, say while getting a pedicure for example, where as I wouldn’t haul my laptop to such a place. Now on the other hand, digital and online textbooks can really come in handy. Most of them have search features, which let you easily find a word or concept without having to scroll through pages or even chapters. But then again, that is what causes students to be lazy and not actually read the required material, but instead skip right to the answer. Another advantage of online textbooks is that you can carry it anywhere with you. If you bring your laptop or i-pad to school with you, you can easily have all of your classes textbooks on hand, without breaking your back with a twenty pound backpack full of traditional textbooks. Ultimately, I think that the best option is to buy a book that comes with an online package. Most textbook companies offer such a bundle that comes with the actual textbook and access to a digital one online. That way, even though it may be a little more expensive sometimes, you get the best of both worlds!
