Television has become such a central part of today's culture that people looking for new homes prioritize where they will put their TV when choosing the next house for their family. While it has received a lot of backlash due to decreasing activity levels among kids who prefer to stay indoors and watch their favorite shows, television is actually a highly valuable asset to today's culture. From news channels to educational programs, many of the shows that air on today's televisions are packed with information that enriches viewers. But people today have a great deal and more control over their television habits than those watching just a decade ago, thanks to the Internet. Below are a few ways in which the Internet has changed how today's culture consumes television entertainment. Netflix: Television at the Touch of a Button Netflix has in terms of the general public's consumption of television shows, changed the game entirely. An online platform that offers instant streaming and mail-based delivery of DVDs, Netflix allows people to watch what they want, when they want. While it started largely as a movie-based platform, the popularity of its television show collections has grown immensely. Today, a great deal of the options on Netflix's instant streaming menu is TV shows. While many of them are new, with the latest season being added just weeks after the finale airs, many are older. Shows like Firefly, which has a strong cult following despite being canceled after just one season, were once rare finds on TV, but are now available to the general population through this Internet-based platform. Networks Moving to the Internet: The Latest Shows on the World Wide Web Netflix has been extremely successful in bringing television shows to the World Wide Web. So much so that, to keep up and compete, many networks have opted to air their shows online before they can get to Netflix. For instance, NBC posts new episodes of many of its most popular shows online just after they premiere on air. With fewer commercials and the ability to watch at one's leisure without having to wait for the entire season to be wrapped up, this has become a very popular option for television fans who don't want to wait until their favorite shows are up on Netflix. In fact, this option received enough demand for companies like Hulu and Amazon to complete in this space. Payment Options: Getting More for Less One of the primary complaints of television is directed at the price of cable-which can be expensive. With cable prices increasing yearly and the infamously poor customer service provided by many cable companies, consumers are flocking to the Internet for their entertainment. The cost of membership to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and other such companies is much less than that of cable, and in many cases people find it worthwhile to forgo the traditional television experience for the convenience and freedom of the Internet. Internet has made TV more Seamless Watching TV at your convenience is one of the biggest perks of Internet. You are no longer required to watch your favorite sitcom on TV's scheduled time but can watch it at any point of time and anywhere (since you can view them on your phone as well). Not just that, you can pause, rewind, fast-forward, record, and restart any show. Another boon that comes with Internet television is the fact that you can skip the commercials! Who would have thought 20 years before that watching TV sans commercials was possible? The web has changed the world in many ways, and on a daily basis one of its largest impacts is how today's consumers access TV. With new offerings being continually developed by both television networks and companies like Netflix, the future of Internet-based entertainment is certainly bright.