Physical media encompasses a wide variety of items like CDs, DVDs, books, vinyl, VHS tapes, cassettes, game disks, hard drives, printed pictures, etc. Before technology reached the advanced level it is at today, people had to rely on these items to hold their memories, music, movies, and more.
However, streaming services and online libraries have taken over this industry. It has been becoming more and more common for people to pay for multiple streaming services to satisfy their wants from media.
Being able to physically own a favorite album or movie has its benefits, especially when considering streaming services. While streaming services are supposed to increase the accessibility of its items, it often makes them more difficult to access. These companies fight for the rights to different songs, shows, or movies, meaning they can only be found on certain platforms and not others.
This causes consumers to either subscribe to the streaming service with the things that best suit their interests, but miss out on some of the things they want, or pay for multiple subscriptions in order to access a few select pieces of interest. Both of these options have unsatisfactory results, one not having all the media they want access to, and the other paying excessive amounts of money for the access.
“I collect vinyl because I enjoy having a tangible collection of music that I own. I find collecting fun and a good way to show my love of music.
— Savannah Mordvinov, '26
.sno-pullquote-6973fa59423ef { display: flex; float: right; margin: 30px 0 30px 30px; width: 50%; border-color: #888888; border-top-width: 5px; border-right-width: 5px; border-bottom-width: 5px; border-left-width: 5px; } .sno-pullquote-6973fa59423ef p.pullquotetext, .sno-pullquote-6973fa59423ef p.quotespeaker { } .sno-pullquote-6973fa59423ef .pullquotepic { width: 33%; margin-left: 25px; } .sno-story-body .sno-pullquote-6973fa59423ef p.pullquotetext { font-size: 22px; line-height: 1.4em; } .sno-pullquote-6973fa59423ef .quotebar { background: #dddddd; flex: 0 0 90px; margin-top: -15px; margin-left: -15px; padding-left: 15px; padding-top: 15px; margin-right: 15px; } .sno-pullquote-6973fa59423ef .largequote { color: #888888; } .sno-pullquote-6973fa59423ef .quotebody { width: unset; }Some also enjoy being collectors of physical media. Many people will collect things such as vinyl so that they can listen to all their favorite albums while being able to own a material item. On the other hand, people may collect different editions and versions of things just for the purpose of having it or displaying it, not necessarily using it.
Sticking with vinyl as an example, many of the same albums come in different color vinyl or may have limited edition tracks, and collectors may make it their goal to have them all.
The experience of shopping is another contributing factor towards the increasing popularity of purchasing physical media. Actually being able to go out to a physical store in search of someone’s desired item brings about a certain type of thrill for some people as opposed to simply accessing it instantly and digitally.
In addition to this, many people enjoy shopping with friends or family, making the hunt for physical media just as much about the purchase as it is about the experience of finding it.
Senior Julia Nowak, ‘26, adds her input. “For me, going shopping for physical media products is a way of bonding with my friends. We are able to collectively explore our interests in music and literature while spending time with each other.
Also, in a world that is so significantly increasing its digital usage, these shopping trips allow us to discover objects we can hold and value while staying connected with the real world and the people who matter to us.”
Along with the shopping experience comes support for physical stores, including small businesses. While some have no qualms with buying from big retailers and services, such as Amazon, others may want the more personalized experience of buying from retail locations, whether this be a bigger store such as Barnes & Noble or perhaps a local record shop.
While there are many reasons to spend money on physical products instead of streaming services, nostalgia has played a role in the increasing want for these products, especially in teenagers. Consoles have been becoming more popular in order to relive this nostalgia, often from childhood.
Watching a childhood favorite on VHS gives a different feeling than streaming it on Netflix. It is this nostalgia factor that contributes to wanting to own instead of stream.
While buying and owning these physical pieces of media may have its downfalls, such as cost or storage, their pros can outweigh their cons.