A Study on the Use of Online Streaming Media by the Undergraduates of the Faculty of Humanities, University of Kelaniya.

Abstract

Recognised as one of the modern techniques in the video industry, Video Streaming refers to the use of online platforms to deliver and view video materials through the internet. People can engage with these videos whenever they want, if they have access to an internet connection. Due to the attractiveness of this new medium of delivering video content, video streaming has become a popular mode of entertainment and sharing information, resulting in a relatively low use of traditional media such as television in the contemporary society. Thousands of video materials are uploaded to the internet within a minute, some of which garner millions of views. Studies have been carried out that focus on such aspects in an international level, which points to the general lack of research that explores the ways in which online video materials can be used within the Sri Lankan context. Therefore, the effects of using streaming media on a national level remains a research area that needs to be explored. In its attempt to address this research gap, the present study is focused on understanding the use of online streaming medium by the undergraduates of the Sri Lankan universities in their day-to-day life. Data for the study (both quantitative and qualitative) are gathered by distributing a Questionnaire and conducting interviews with the students who were selected from the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Kelaniya. By analysing the data gathered through the above research methods this study has concluded that, the undergraduates of the Faculty of Humanities have chosen the streaming media as a means of escaping their hectic schedules and relieving their stress, rather than employing such media for their educational purposes.