The importance of digital platforms in our society has increased significantly over the past period, and they have become a strong competitor with television channels, especially among young people, due to the ease of access to them either via cell phones, modern television screens, or computers, as they provide diverse content, whether drama, movies, Programs and other things, free of any advertisements, which cause inconvenience to television viewers, which makes many producers of programmatic and artistic works compete to display their work on these platforms.
The journalist Suhair stressed Shalabi said that each medium now has its own audience according to age, social and cultural classifications, unlike in the past, when television used to bring together the Egyptian and Arab audience as well, adding: “Digital platforms have been able to achieve success in record time, especially among young people, given that they excel in the absence of Advertisements in them, which lead to the viewer feeling bored and refraining from watching, indicating that the percentage of entertainment on the platforms is greater, and therefore attract the television audience, but it cannot attract it completely, because the television screen also still has its viewers, its brilliance, and its distinction.
The media personality, Heba Al-Abasiri, expressed her rejection of the theory of digital platforms eliminating television screens, pointing out the impossibility of this happening because the two media are indispensable, as they both have their own audience, explaining that any Egyptian home has It has viewers watching platforms and another watching television, so it is a complementary thing and one cannot cancel the other, as the two are necessary elements for the audience’s enjoyment.
Radio announcer Jihan Abdullah said: “The screen remains It has its audience, and digital platforms cannot withdraw its viewers from it, and if it happens, it is a small number compared to the larger number of television viewers.” She pointed out that the platforms are an important choice and available to the public for those who want to use them, adding: “Perhaps, with the passage of time and the change of generations, the percentages of Seeing the platforms on par with the screen, especially since the whole world is moving towards the Internet and digital media, is a logical thing to happen in the future.
Dr. Sami Abdel Aziz, former Dean of the Faculty of Mass Communication, Cairo University, confirmed He said that there is no media outlet that kills another media outlet, but rather there is a media that poses challenges to the other media to attract viewers, adding: “The current generation is different from previous generations, as they are more inclined to technology than the screen, and therefore the ability of digital platforms to attract the new generation is an issue.” Natural, due to its ease of access via phone or computer, and its wide spread. He revealed that he expects the penetration and spread of digital platforms to increase in the coming period, such as the Watch IT platform, due to its ease of access and the diversity of its content, as well as the fact that it allows the viewer to control the timing and place of watching and enjoying at any time, in addition to avoiding the advertisements that fill television screens. Pointing out that there is a danger in the Western digital platforms that Egyptian society is exposed to, such as the Netflix platform, and the creativity it contains in the ability to trap this generation in the trap of cultural values that are contrary to our society, as they are platforms that affect our values by displaying things that do not suit our customs and traditions.
Dr. Soraya El-Badawi, Dean of the Faculty of Information, Cairo University, explained that many of the public turned towards digital platforms more than the silver screen, especially after the decrease in subscription fees for these platforms such as Watch IT and Shahid. , and Internet fees, with the viewer’s ability to control viewing and the absence of advertisements. Al-Badawi added: “There is what is called binge watching, which makes the audience enjoy watching the series, plays, cinematic films, documentaries, programs, etc. that these digital platforms contain,” stressing that the future belongs to digital platforms and this matter in the whole world, as they have become An essential and virtual reality that we all live and enjoy, we watch it anywhere without restriction.
