Back in 2009, Stephen King published an article that posed questions about how entertainment and how we receive it may change in the future. Six years later entertainment has changed greatly and we can see how his ideas match the changes. He first discusses e-books and wonders what will happen to books. He compares e-books and physical copies of books, to CDs and vinyl records. E-books weren't as popular but they were cheaper like how CDs were in comparison to vinyl records and that ended up overtaking vinyl records. It is funny because that analogy is even dated because barely anyone has CDs anymore. Since the article was published I think e-books have gotten more popular, but they haven't gotten rid of books. Also I have found that e-books are starting to be more expensive that certain books, at least the very popular ones, while Amazon Prime also gives away free e-books once a month. I have switched over to e-books and I know other people that have too, but there are still many people that want to stick with physical copies of books. I think it has stayed around because its easier to share and many people have a sentimental connection to the books they own. It seems like e-books may continue to become more popular, but I'm not entirely sure it will overtake books.
Stephen King also talks about how Rock and Roll Radio and serious American movies have been on the decline. They definitely are still available, but they are not nearly as popular. Radio as a whole has definitely changed and I think it will continue to change as there is a huge shift to the celebrity culture and less and less people are interested in listening to varied music and people talking for more than a minute or show. I am not as familiar with rock and roll radio so I am not sure how it has changed, but I would guess that it has become less popular. Also serious American movies have become less marketable but I still think that there are plenty being made. The movies that get nominated for Oscars haven't been as popular in the mainstream within the past few years, while superhero movies and sequels have dominated the top box office lists. I don't think that it is something that will go away, it just might head more to the fringes of pop culture but not entirely into the shadows.
The last entertainment that King looked at was network TV and it has been overshadowed in recent years by cable shows and even internet streaming networks like Netflix and Amazon. There are still some quality network shows but they are not as dominant as they used to be. A lot of the cable shows are grittier and more realistic, which people have been gravitating towards. Also it takes dedication to watch 23 episodes and season with commercials and airing weekly. People want entertainment immediately so I can see Netflix and Amazon taking over more and more of the TV industry.
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