A couple of years ago, live streaming was almost unheard of. Now, it is everywhere. When Facebook released its live streaming platform to the general public on January 2017, there were 3.5 billion broadcasts within just over a year. These videos foster much more interaction than traditional videos and get 10 times more comments on average. They have been used for a variety of purposes, from the release of new music videos to the filming of events that bring viewers right into the action. The technology has permeated the business industry as well as entertainment, and now the working American is utilizing it in many different ways. During working hours, it is an incredible tool for business. And, when winding down at the end of the day, it can be used for leisure purposes.
Live Streaming has Improved Several Aspects of Working Life
The modern worker is becoming less restricted by office settings and is finding that the job can be done from various locations. A recent survey reported in the New York Times found that 43 percent of Americans worked remotely to some extent, and this is congruous with the fact that most businesses now exist online. Live streaming has aided this ability to work from anywhere, as work colleagues are able to communicate and watch feeds of each other or aspects of the business in real-time. Services like Skype and Google Duo were early leaders in this regard, with Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp also having live video chat features. This can be used to conduct board meetings for online companies, but astute business people are finding that there are other lucrative uses for the software as well.
Getting in touch with clients and fostering a special relationship with them can be done through live streaming. A lot of businesses are now using tools like Facebook Live to make customers aware of special offers and discount sales. Because customers can comment on the videos, they can place orders in this way. It can also give them the opportunity to have their say on things and give feedback to the business owner. 93.7 percent of businesses use Facebook, and 42.7 percent of those broadcasted a live video in 2018. 90 percent of millennials say that answering questions on social media is cool, and these can often be posed to them through live streams. All these figures suggest that American workers who are slow on the uptake with live streaming may be at risk of being left behind.
The Technology Has Been Put to Excellent Use in the Entertainment Industry
While live streaming has proven an efficient way to enhance working life, it is arguably at a more advanced stage in the entertainment industry. And when the typical American worker winds down for the day, they want to have access to some state of the art forms of escapism. The average USA citizen watches 2 hours and 47 minutes of television each day, with playing games and socializing making up another hour of leisure time.
Live streaming has been used in gaming for some time as a way to bring players closer to the action. The online casino industry was an early pioneer of the software, using it to broadcast table games in real-time. Sites like Betway have a wide variety of live gamesincluding roulette, blackjack, and casino hold’em with real dealers. The live stream makes players feel as though they are playing in a real casino. Twitch has been another revelation in the gaming industryand helped to push live streaming forward. The site, which allows gamers to live-stream footage of them playing began in 2011 and, by 2014, it was the fourth-largest source of peak internet traffic in the USA. It also sparked the impressive rise of the growing eSportsindustry, which is expected to be worth $1.7 billion by 2022.
The way Americans watch television is changing with the new technology as well. Recently, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch showed that live streaming could be used to transform traditional television. While viewers weren’t actually watching the action live, they did have to make decisions in real-time. These choices affected the way the rest of the story panned out. This led to other programs like You vs. Wild and, with 10 billion hours of Netflix being watched per month, it seems like there will be similar content coming up in the future. This could include shows that allow viewers to vote on live-action and decide what happens next. The streaming network has shown its pulling power with documentaries like Beyoncé’s Homecoming and could lead the way with this television revolution.
Working Americans need to be in touch with the modern age and understand that live streaming is at the forefront of some many things. It can be put to excellent use in business scenarios and is also prevalent in the entertainment industry.
