Written by Reese Tackett

Photography by Marko Maturino

Modeled by Kaitlyn Patton, Cade Johnson, Seamus Flannagan, Douglas Bergen, Jase Harris, Molly Pritchett, Rose Spalding, & Reese Tackett

Styled by Blu Campbell & Trent Sherwood

In the last decade there has been a substantial shift in how we consume our media. Currently, most Americans consume news on social media, entertainment on streaming services, all at the tip of our fingers. Between 2002 and 2020, revenue for DVDs decreased by 88.5%, magazines fell by 40.5%, and newspapers by 52%. This decline of physical media is unfortunate because there is so much opportunity for connection across all types, from music and movies to newspapers. Movie theatres, record stores, bookstores, comic book stores, and movie stores are all at risk of fading away due to the convenience of streaming services. These places are essential for community, they provide spaces to meet and talk to people about shared interests.

In the music industry there is a major disconnect between artists and listeners due to the digitalization of media. In the prime of CDs and vinyls, there was a connection with the artist, because fans not only bought the music itself, but a lyric book, poster, or even a letter from the artists that often came with a CD or vinyl. The decline of CDs and vinyls have also made it increasingly more difficult to become a successful musician. When platforms like Spotify only pay artists $0.003- $0.005 per song stream, it’s difficult for musicians to make a living. Artists now not only have to make the music, they must promote their music through creative marketing tactics on social media.

In the digital age, the art of creating a playlist for someone is very common. However before the playlist, there was the mixtape. There is nothing more special or unique than receiving a mixtape from a loved one or a friend. This is due to the time and effort that goes into making it. The gift of a Spotify playlist opposed to a physical mixtape is much different; it’s something you own. Playlists could disappear if the streaming service crashed or if the playlist accidently got deleted. Making a playlist is easy and takes little time — all you do is search up a song and add it.

Creating a mixtape is a much longer process. People would wait for a specific song to play on the radio, record it on the cassette, and hope that it would sound okay. They would follow this process for all the songs, write out a track list, and gift it. There is something so personal and intimate about someone taking this amount of time and effort to curate something just for you; a playlist just isn’t the same.

Another media form that garners more connection than its digital counterpart are DVDs. Scrolling on streaming services is completely different than going to your local movie rental store and picking out a film to watch. When streaming, you may be scrolling for hours, and it feels much more unceremonious. This in regard to how convenient it is to flip on the TV and scroll. At times, all the options can be so overwhelming people end up watching nothing, or something they’ve previously seen. Putting on shoes, getting in the car, and driving to the store to choose a movie for the night gives the evening more of a special feel. It becomes something more of an event — whether alone, with friends, or a date.

In the film industry, we are seeing very dire effects due to the rise of digital media. Since companies can’t rely on DVD revenue anymore, they are forced to create with streaming services in mind. This correlates to the amount of remakes or sequels we’ve been given in 2024. These kinds of films work well because there is already an existing audience that filmmakers are playing off of; it’s a low risk with a high reward.

Only a couple decades ago, filmmakers could make a more creatively-risky film because they wouldn’t have to rely on the money they’d make from the theatre — there would be a wave of revenue from DVD copies. This is why a lot of movies now seem to lack “flavor.” The safe options sell decently and studios know they’ll make their money back on remakes or sequels, and if the film isn’t doing how they anticipate, they’ll just take it out of theatres and send it straight to streaming. The decline of watching movies on DVD also means the loss of special features, deleted scenes, bloopers, and the beloved main screen with all of the options.

Physical media allows space for third places, which we are in dire need of. Third places are spaces outside of the home or workplace where people can connect with their community. Record shops, bookstores, libraries, or movie stores give us the space and opportunity to meet people we would not have met otherwise. This kind of connection is never possible when just scrolling through streaming services. So start the car and make the trip to your local physical media shop, talk to people about music, movies, or books and make the connections that are so crucial to building community.

How Physical Media Connects Us