Story by Macayla Jones, Reporter
Photo courtesy of Pexels

Millions of students around the world are plugged into their nearest device, watching the latest and greatest movies and TV shows. For this week’s issue, I interviewed different students on campus about what platforms they use and why. Each and every student is different, but hopefully this article can help students decide which style is right for them.

First off, most college students do not have a million dollars to spend, and are usually trying to save as much as possible. Art and Business student Therese Thamann, for example, tries to save money by watching her favorite movies and TV shows through a different platform.

“I don’t have a subscription so I use YouTube,” said Thamann. “Sometimes YouTube is nice because they have the movie, but other times there’s advertisements or YouTube took it off.”

In college there can be a lot of time to fill, and some students choose movies and TV to fill it. However, others may choose not to use a streaming service or Youtube either, and find their time better used elsewhere. Freshman student athlete Jacob Pasek offered his view on why he chose not to use Netflix in college anymore.

“I unsubscribed from Netflix because it was a distraction for me,” said Pasek. “In the beginning of the school year I wish I spent less time on it, but now I’ve done a good job of managing my time.” said Pasek.

Some students also come into college already subscribed to a streaming service account, and continue using it in healthy doses during the school year. Freshmen Jessica Woodside and Jackson Moore both came to Aquinas with Netflix accounts, however each became aware of how much they watched after coming to college.

“When I was in high school I spent way too much time watching Netflix… now I spend time doing more important things,” said Woodside.

“I only watch it (Netflix) at night when I’m settling down to just have a way to unwind and relax,” said Moore.

Let’s be honest, most college students are going to spend at least some part of their day watching a streaming service like Netflix– and that’s okay! Streaming services are cheaper than buying cable at as little as $8 all the way up to $14-15. It completely depends on the student, their budget and how they want to use their time.

“It’s convenient and portable, and for students I would recommend streaming services because it’s cheaper and not everyone has a TV,” said sophomore Isabel Wilson.

No matter if someone is pinching pennies or looking for all the places they can watch their favorite show, if they are open-minded and flexible, anyone can find what they’re looking for. However, even though snuggling in layers of soft blankets with steaming ramen and Netflix is a big mood, nothing beats experiencing the world outside of an device.