A million.1.5 million. What do these figures mean? These are the numbers of daily users of Afreeca TV on PC and mobile phones, respectively. AfreecaTV is a representative Internet broadcast. This shows how many people watch Internet broadcasts these days. Certainly, watching Internet broadcasts has a lot of advantages. Let’s see what these are.
First, Internet broadcasting is free and unlimited and deals with countless themes. Freedom is a distinct characteristic compared to offline broadcast. Offline broadcasts are very much focused on the public, and as such, their themes are
confined to certain programs. Second, the presenters and viewers can communicate with each other in real time. This makes Internet broadcasting more vivid. For example, the presenter adjusts the programs as the viewers write comments on the board. The presenter can also change the order of the programs or the direction of their progress. This can satisfy the viewers’ tastes immediately.
In addition, the users can choose whatever program they like. Everyone can watch Internetbroadcasts whenever they want and whatever the program is. Lastly, the presenters of Internet broadcasts are ordinary people. The viewers feel intimacy from their natural images. To conclude, Internet broadcasting is more convenient, diverse, and unaffected than offline broadcasting.
Internet broadcasting also has negative aspects, though. The contents reported by Internet broadcasts lack reliability. Personal opinions and amateurish information are poured out to the audience. The viewers often accept non-precise contents uncritically. Also, because of their unbridled freedom, the presenters sometimes utter curses and make use of unsound materials. As has been mentioned many times, freedom with no limits is a double-edged sword.
Despite the foregoing, Internet broadcasting is tremendously popular these days, and this trend is expected to continue for a while. Itis clear that it can grow into formal media if several things about it will be modified. I expect its several advantages to be sublimated someday. Then, Internet broadcasting could provide utmost pleasure while meeting the demand for instruction.
저작권자 © The Soongsil Times(숭실대영자신문) 무단전재 및 재배포 금지