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Two Too Much

Two Too Much?

Too Much Good TV?

Is there too much “good television” on the air right now?

This topic has recently come up a few times, and is one that’s starting to make an avid TV watcher like myself question his viewing habits. I first started considering this a little over a week ago when I read this article by one of my favorite TV critics, Alan Sepinwall, who points out how the overwhelming choices of exceptional programming has made his job more difficult.  It came up again at the office just around the same time.

Our Space NetflixUltimately, I think we have more players in the game with more accessibility. Not only are channels like HBO, AMC and FX taking more chances with their original programming, but now we have streaming services like Hulu, Netflix and Amazon creating  their own series (Netflix’s House of Cards and Hemlock Grove are two examples that came out this year) in addition to carrying full television series from other networks available to us at the click of button.

The number amount of shows we have access to is a pretty cool thing to think about, especially as the audience of each series becomes more unique. If you sit in a room with five other people, the chances that everyone watches the same shows as you are pretty slim. But, the camaraderie built within each fan base is even cooler. If I meet someone who is just as big fan of Brad’s antics on ABC’s Happy Endings as I am, we get to share that little moment of fandom that used to be reserved for “cult TV shows” like Firefly.

That’s not to say that these cult followings no longer exist.  In fact, I’d say they are even more common now because many well-written shows with brilliant performers constantly find themselves on the chopping block due to the fierce competition in this space. The fan base’s loyalty to these shows amazes me. For instance, Google search “Save Community” and see the expansive results for one of NBC’s most ardently loyal fan bases. There’s definitely something to be said for how these programs make their viewers feel a part of something—even take our Mad Men themed Friday here at the office!

 

 

Too Much Digital Socializing?

By Cassandra Bremer

Remember the days when you managed 12 photos on MySpace or wrote Facebook statuses in the “[insert name] is…” format? Social media was much simpler then.

I often find myself thinking in Facebook statuses when I’m not even logged in to my account. I refrain, however, from constantly surrendering to the posting urge. As Will recently pointed out in his article on Generation Y, we share (almost) too much information on social media—keeping very little to ourselves. Unfortunately, not all Gen Y-ers practice social media restraint, and it’s affecting their employment statuses.

Our Space Social Media AppsRecently, I’ve toned down my social media use—maintaining a few platforms rather than every account (since it was too hard to keep up). This personal shift gave me a little insight into company social media accounts: it’s the consumers who make the decisions of which platforms to use, but they still want to have access to companies, brands and entertainers on their preferred platforms.

So while consumers might not stray from their preferred accounts and may limit their social media activity, brands must go in the opposite direction—keeping relevant and active accounts on an array of platforms. Brands who understand the importance social media and thoughtfully engage their consumers won’t feel like they’re dealing with too social media because they will allocate the necessary resources to managing the accounts. The average person, however, can’t pay a handler to manage his/her accounts.

We may have more accounts to maintain on one hand, but we have so much information and developing technology at our disposal on the other. Social media has given people access to more groups and information than they could have otherwise.

I ask not if we have too much social media, but does having access to an array of platforms mean we have too much?

Cover Photo Source: gullevek via Flickr
Photo Source 1: Alan Levine via Flickr
Photo Source 2: Jason Howie via Flickr

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://wpmaster.sjadv.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Our-Space-The-San-Jose-Group.png[/author_image] [author_info] Kevin is a junior executive at SJG. A Texas native, he is currently working on obtaining a BA from Northwestern University in Comparative Literary Studies and Creative Writing, with a special interest in media and pop culture in Latin America and the Latino U.S. His love of TV is only outpaced by his love of his hometown San Antonio Spurs.[/author]

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://wpmaster.sjadv.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Cassandra-Bremer-Our-Space-Photo-e1402061863316.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Cassandra is a Content Manager and Developer at SJG. She earned her BA from Fontbonne University in 2011. Outside the office, she enjoys an active, healthy and well-rounded lifestyle including reading, writing, running, golfing, watching films, listening to music, taking photographs, and consuming media and social media.[/author_info] [/author]