Introduction
Since the turn of the century, the rate of technological advancement has been escalating at an alarming rate. Technology has influenced almost every aspect of people’s lives. Technology has changed lives in terms of the efficiency of service delivery, communication, social processes, education, and business development, among others (Katz 100).
Technology has enabled people to do several things such as paying bills, shopping, looking for direction, studying, getting entertainment materials, holding meetings, and interacting with others over the internet.
Technology has necessitated the creation of online music stores, which are slowly replacing traditional music shops. In contemporary society, people are downloading as well as storing music on their phones, computers, and other technological devices.
Discussion
If people continue to embrace technology, they have a higher chance of experiencing a high-quality life. However, people are relying too much on technology to meet their needs. Experts argue that overdependence on technology has made a lot of people lazy because they won’t struggle to have things done (Katz 113). People visit stores across the world to buy their favorite music records.
Running a music store is a good economic activity because it helps to create jobs. Also, it enables people to access music from different artists (“The Future of the Music Industry” par. 2). A good example of a successful online music store is iTunes.
People physically visit stores to buy music records. Most people consider a visit to the music store as an opportunity to adventure, go out on a date, or even listen to the latest music released in the market.
However, this experience is slowly being wiped away by technological advancements, which have made it possible for people to access music through online stores (“The Future of the Music Industry” par. 3). People no longer need to visit record stores to have the music they want. Instead, they have a whole new experience over the internet.
Technological devices have made it easier for people to have access to music by downloading them from online stores. In the contemporary world, people download their favorite music on their phones and computers.
Although most musicians are selling their music through online stores, their offline market is still vibrant (“The Future of the Music Industry” par. 4). Musicians consider online stores as cost-effective because all they need to do it upload their music, and people will start downloading it. Most products and services are available online because business developers and entrepreneurs are targeting the growing online community.
With more people buying and listening to music online, the future of record stores is very unstable. The ability of musicians to attract a larger audience has been boosted a lot by the online stores (“The Future of the Music Industry” par. 6). If musicians continue selling their records through online stores, their earning will increase tremendously.
Unfortunately, there are certain stores that allow people to download music without paying for it. It is very unethical for people to do that because they often get the revenue out a musician’s work without their knowledge (“The Future of the Music Industry” par. 6). Although most of the music sold in online stores is copyrighted, there are people who manage to pirate and make a living out of it.
Availability of digital tools such as YouTube also threatens the demand for television as the main source of entertainment (Katz 160). Although people are viewing music videos online through YouTube, they have not abandoned their television sets.
People watch television to enjoy their favorite programs. However, the fact that the same content is available online for people to view whenever they want has left the future of television as the main source of entertainment uncertain (Katz 171).
Conclusion
Technological advancements are threatening the existence of physical entities because people in contemporary society are accessing most products and services online. The availability of online services is threatening the existence of entities such as banks, music stores, post offices, libraries and theatres, among others. Indeed, technology has changed people’s lives.
Works Cited
Katz, Mark. Capturing Sound: How Technology has Changed Music. California: University of California Press, 2010. Print.
The Future of the Music Industry: How Technology Affected Consumer Trends. 2013. Web.