A hashtag surfaced on the Internet early this week -- and it has started a timely conversation, regarding how we consume media in the 21st century.
#FreeYourTV started trending and picking up traffic on Twitter August 13.
Though it sounds like a silly phrase, the hashtag actually revolves around a pretty serious topic -- is it better to use cable, or cut the cord and turn to over-the-top (OTT) streaming services?
Hundreds of people chimed in Tuesday online, and many voiced a similar opinion -- cable is simply too expensive, and streaming services may cut down on time spent watching unwanted commercials.
While a handful of users said they preferred the traditional method, the majority of tweets supported #FreeYourTV, some pointing to a more diverse range of options on streaming sites and the fact that having both Internet and cable can be pretty expensive.
RELATED: 5 hidden costs in your cable bill
Twitter is obviously a platform for the people -- but what does the actual data say about where Americans are consuming the media, like T.V. shows and programs, they swear they can't live without?
A Forbes Magazine article from April, titled "How Much Streaming Can We Take? New Data Sheds Light On The OTT Revolution", delves into this debate from a numbers-standpoint.
The piece cites a study done by OpenX in collaboration with The Harris Poll, published on April 10. The survey was conducted between February and March 2018 among 2,000 self-identified OTT users across all generations and income and household statuses.
According to the data, 65 percent of people ages 18-34 use OTT services. Even among people ages 55 and up, nearly one-third of the demographic uses these services.
For people who 'cut the cord', so to speak, 52 percent said they don't miss anything about cable or satellite T.V., and 56 percent said they don't think cable is necessary any longer with services like Netflix and Hulu.
The study says millennials watch twice as much OTT content than live T.V.
Also among millennials, the use of those OTT services are "overwhelmingly mobile", according to the study, at 7.2 hours a day spent watching video on their smartphones.
So, what does this mean for the future of cable? Forbes reports that fewer than 40 percent of millenial OTT users actually plan on keeping their cable packages.
But for industries, like news, that once used to rely on broadcast, not to worry -- there are other ways to communicate messages with viewers, whether or not it's still through the cable box or satellite dish.
For example, you don't have to be wired up to watch NEWS CENTER Maine! You can find us on a number of platforms, including OTT services like Roku and Hulu.
Discover the entire list of places you can watch us on our website, or download our free, new mobile app for streaming at your fingertips.