Piracy is rife among the Generation Y. With lawsuits threatening students to a disproportionate level and with media and record industries lobbying governments for a change in the law, there is no let up in sight for the piracy problem.
Could it be simply down to the lack of available regional content between the US and Europe? Could it even be down to retailers failing to grasp the online market where others succeed? Do we get a kick out of it and take advantage of insecure systems? Or really, is it just about the money?
After studying this subject for some time, and ethnographically examining the practices of students and young people alike, there are three areas to take into consideration:
- Money is tight. Unless you get driven to college from your dorm room in a cedar chair, you will be like the rest of us and struggle with money. With our innate mentality for the value of culture, we see ‘entertainment as free’.
- The Internet is the be all and end all of every bit of content there is. If you want it, it will be out there. If you want to watch, listen to or play with something for your computer, you can bet your bottom dollar that someone else out there does too.
- More often than not, it’s simple, or there’s a thrill in the chase. It boils down to simplicity of the search and the ease of access to downloadable content. If a system has been exploited, the temptation to take advantage, carte blanche is perceived.
It would be a lie to say that money was not a significant factor for younger people and students alike. But to collate and understand why young people pirate boils down to one easy summarising statement.
The legal options are not as readily available, simple enough nor consistent enough to access. It really is as simple as that.
