Opinion: Save some money, switch to streaming

Online streaming isn’t something new. From Netflix to Hulu to Amazon Prime Video, there are many ways to watch content. Recently, streaming is on the rise. Cable’s primetime is slow­ly leaving, and more and more cable companies are partnering with streaming services.

Don’t worry though, you can stream some cable networks through different services. The main perk of streaming is its affordability. It is a better bang for your buck to have Hulu, Amazon Prime and Netflix than it would be to have cable. To make it even better, you can stream practically anywhere. On a bus? Watch your favorite show to fill the time. On an airplane? Netflix offers the option to download shows and movies to watch anywhere without needing Wi-Fi or cellular data, so you can rewatch “The Office” while up in the air.

Netflix also allows up to five profiles on an account — one for each member of your household or each person in your friend group. With plans starting at $8 per month — less than what you would pay for coffee each week — it is the ultimate money saver.

Another great streaming service is Spotify. Spotify offers free accounts, but also offers premium services that allow unlimited song skips and com­mercial free listening. For college students, they offer their premium services at a discount — with the added bonuses of Hulu with limited commercials and Showtime. Unlim­ited music and two streaming ser­vices for $5 a month? An obvious steal.

Amazon Prime also has a student discount of 50 percent off. A Prime membership not only comes with Prime Video, but also free two-day shipping, Prime Music, Prime Reading, Prime Wardrobe and other exclusive offers. You can have your first six months of Amazon Prime free by sign­ing up for a trial — let the savings roll!

Although cable does offer instant showings, who wants to watch one episode per week when you can binge watch an entire season off of a stream­ing service? The internet is broaden­ing and more and more users are switching from cable to streaming services due to the cheaper price and ease of accessibility. While cable com­panies are beginning to get onto the boat of streaming by offering certain shows on their website, they have still not fully accepted the amazing inven­tion of streaming. It’s called Netflix and chill, not cable, commercials and chill. Although some streaming ser­vices do have commercials, not all do and the ones that do don’t have near­ly as many as cable TV does, and for the most part you can opt out of watching the ads by paying for an ad free plan. Hulu, for example, offers a commercial free option for $5 more than their normal service.

Streaming is the way to go: It is easily accessible with a broad enough range of movies and TV series that there’s guaranteed to be content for everyone. Personally, streaming has been my go-to to watch anything for the longest time. As a student, it is the cheapest way to watch my favorite content and I can use it anywhere — from school, to my apartment to over­seas. It is not limited to the space where the television is.

So why are more people switching? It’s simpler, more affordable and a lot more convenient. Consumers want to get the most for their money, so why should they be limited to just what is currently on? Streaming services allow for a better viewing option.