Before taking this course, I had never seen a telenovela or even a trailer for one. The closest I had been to watching a telenovela was when I watched Jane The Virgin in high school. I even acquitted telenovelas to soap operas because I did not understand the uniqueness of the telenovela genre. These unique characteristics make telenovelas stand out from the media I have been used to consuming. The unique aspect of telenovelas that captured my attention the most was that true telenovelas air a new episode daily, rather than weekly or in a binge-watching environment like Netflix where entire seasons are released all at one time. This made me want to know more about the community of telenovela viewers and how this type of media is consumed.
Unlike the way media is typically consumed in the United States, consumption of telenovelas seems to be heavily centered around community. Telenovelas are used in Latin American culture as a way to connect with family and friends. In the United States, watching television has become a highly individualized activity due to the advent of new technology and the endless amount of entertainment streaming platforms available. In Latin America and other parts of the world where telenovelas are a prioritized genre, watching television is a way to engage in the community and is a shared experience amongst many different demographics. I love the idea of media consumption as a way to bring people together on a nightly basis as it creates this invisible string connecting each viewer to even grander community than just the people they watch with at home. As I start my dive into the world of telenovelas, I look forward to joining a community of passionate viewers and sharing in the emotional turmoil provoked by telenovelas in real-time.
Taylor, me alegra que hayas mencionado la diferencia en el consumo de medios aquí en los Estados Unidos y en otros países. Creo que, en general, Estados Unidos es un país altamente individualizado y capitalista. Estoy de acuerdo en que las plataformas de streaming definitivamente han empujado el consumo de medios al extremo del espectro individualista, y me interesa ver cómo se desarrolla eso a medida que los servicios de streaming se adaptan. Actualmente, los servicios de streaming se parecen cada vez más a la televisión por cable, a medida que estas empresas empiezan a incluir más anuncios en sus contenidos y a publicar programas cada semana o incluso en dos partes. Me pregunto si esto llevará a que el consumo de medios vuelva a ser una actividad más centrada en la comunidad, o si irá a otra parte por completo.
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