What are millennials reading, buying, watching? We asked a group of University of Mississippi students what their two latest media purchases were, and here are some of their answers.
Mary Albert
Hulu – Albert purchased the commercial-free Hulu unlimited package after seeing that many of her friends have Hulu. “I decided to break down and try the free month, and I was so amazed,” she said. “I love the subscription.”
Audio Book – Albert’s second media purchase was an audio book from Audible.com. “I am in my car the majority of my time driving to school or driving to work, which is an hour away,” she said. “ … The site allows you to get a new book every month. It gives me more than 12 hours of listening while I am in the car, and I love it.”
Ann Albert
Spotify and Hulu Student Deal – Albert said Spotify is an important part of her life, but it was once too pricey. “One day, I saw a promotion that Spotify and Hulu were doing a student discount, and you could have both media sources for only $5 a month … Before this deal came up, I was paying $15 for Hulu and $12 dollars for Spotify. So by participating in this deal, I am saving $22 a month.”
Kourtney Kardashian App – “I am one of the people who likes the Kardashians,” Albert said. “Sure, they do ridiculous things, but the things they promote and sell actually work.” Albert purchased this app because of Kourtney’s healthful lifestyle. Albert said she follows a gluten- and dairy-free diet like the star, and she wanted to see Kardashian’s recipes, a feature of the app. “Another reason I bought her app was because I feel like she is the most put together of all the sisters,” Albert said, “and she is the least dramatic and the most realistic when it comes to real life situations.”
Danielle Angelo
Pitch Perfect 3 – A fan of the series, Angelo said she attended the movie with her friends who are also fans.
Hulu – Angelo said she subscribed to Hulu because many shows she was watching on Neftix disappeared to make room for new content, but Hulu was still streaming some of them.
Hannah Adams
Jumanji – Adams purchased a ticket to see a showing of “Jumanji” at the local theater. She and her fiancé attended the event as a pre-Valentine’s Day outing.
It – Adams and her family rented the movie “It” from their Dish Network TV provider. It wasn’t her choice because she’s not a fan of horror. “My mom loves these types of movies,” she said, “and since we were all at home, we decided to have family movie night.”
Addison Ball
Fifty Shades Freed – A longtime fan of the series, Ball said she rarely goes to the movie theater to see a film.
Spotify – Ball uses Spotify around 20 times a day, from morning to night. “My favorite part about Spotify is that you cannot only make and play your own playlists, but you can also go on all of your friends’ accounts and play their playlists as well.”
David Ballowe
Rouge One – A huge “Star Wars fan,” Ballowe said “Rouge One” is a stand-alone great, allowing new viewers to enjoy its action and storytelling, and it supports the overall story of “Star Wars.” “By appealing to the masses with sci-fi action, the cast was able to capture the hearts and minds of wanna-be Jedi and newcomers alike,” he said.
Lord of the Rings Extended Version Box Set – Ballowe is also a “The Lord of the Rings” fan. “I also follow ‘The Lord of the Rings’ with a fiery, Middle-Earth passion only rivaled by the shadow and flame of a Balrog of Morgoth,’” he said. “… If you’ve ever seen one of these great mythical thrillers, you know that they are no short ordeal. Exceeding two hours and 30 minutes, the theatrical versions of these films are incredibly long. Most people who simply want to watch the film would be content with this, however, there exists a group of people that want more. More swords. More orcs. More wizards riding eagles. More hobbits drinking and smoking pipe-weed. More staggeringly long pastoral dialogue scenes. I happen to fall in this category. Most people wouldn’t want to sit and watch two hours and 30 minutes of a movie straight through. Try three hours 48 minutes. This is an expansive amount of time for one film, yet the additional time gives devout fans more lore that they so fervently crave.”
Casey Baril
Fifty Shades Freed – Baril said the tickets for the movie were $9 each, which costs more than her monthly $7.99 Netflix subscription.
Apple Music – The monthly $4.99 subscription for students is automatically charged to Baril’s bank account. “I prefer Apple Music over any other streaming service because it will let me combine music I have purchased with songs I just saved from the service. New music and nearly every song I can think of, and more, are available with this subscription.”
Anna Barker
Fifty Shades Freed – Barker said she bought tickets online before arriving at the theater. “Since ‘Fifty Shades Freed’ had just come out the day before, and people were dying to see it, I made sure to buy my tickets ahead of time to guarantee a spot without the risk of the film possibly being sold out by the time I got there … The way it works is quite interesting. After you purchase your ticket, a barcode is sent to you via email or text message. Once you arrive at the movie theater, you go up to a booth, scan the barcode, and your ticket immediately prints out. In 2018, I hardly ever see a line at the ticket booths anymore, because everyone relies on technology to make these tasks that much easier.”
Amazon purchases – Barker said she’s also become an Amazon “addict.” “Ever since my mom signed up for Amazon Prime, I am ordering something off of that website at least once a week,” she said. “Anytime I lose something, run out of something, or need something last minute; I go straight to Amazon with the comfort of knowing I will receive it within the next couple of days.” Barker said she learned that technology is making things easier. “We as people in 2018 seek instant gratification, and the internet serves us just that.”
Alexandria Battista
Star Wars – Battista said she saw the new “Star Wars” movie in a Colorado Imax theatre. “I purchased the ticket online weeks before and even pre-selected my seat prior to showing up for the movie,” she said. “At the theatre, I simply showed my proof of purchase and walked in. This transaction essentially entirely happened online.”
Netflix – Battista said she watches Neftlix constantly and believes millennials are driven by the desire of having unique experiences. “They are a group who prides themselves on their individuality and ability to discover the diverse and extraordinary,” she said. “They are reflective on the past and often state they find their inspiration in times past. Many millennials would rather be referred to as ’90s kids.’ Many are finding nostalgia marketing to be a huge hit among the group, who would prefer to watch reruns or classic movies than to go see a new rendition. They find this cool. That which is not popular among the larger market is what defines favorability for millennials.”
