Media in Spain; Same or Different?

The media systems in the US and Spain are mostly the same in form of media vehicles, but the difference lies in the messaging and the purpose behind the use of media.

In Spain, most people use their digital devices all throughout the day for work, social interactions, and entertainment. You can find people playing games on their phone while riding the metro or sending voice messages to their friends and family over WhatsApp. The use of mobile devices is an important part about the culture here, but different from the US is that the phones will go away when it is time to eat and have quality time. Most use of mobile devices are when individuals are not around people they know so they will engage with their device for entertainment.

The metro is actually a huge hub for advertisements. When taking the metro you walk past many poster ads, ads on the inside of the train, large ads spread out over the walls of the metro stations. Since many people in Spain rely on public transportation more than their personal transportation, this makes sense to use the environment for advertisements. I have yet to see a uniquely creative ambient ad at the metro but the other day I saw an ad that was essentially many screens that make it look like a video when you pass by them quickly on the train. It caught my attention as I was staring out of the window to avoid any unwanted eye contact so I think that specific advertisement was the most unique I have seen.

I have learned through talking with Spanish students at the dorms that most people do not use online music streaming as a social platform, rather it is the personal music library of that person. They found it strange when I asked them what their Spotify account was because I was interested in what music they listen to. Following each other on music streaming apps is not a thing that people do here which is different than in the US where people follow their friends so they can see what music they are listening to and what artists they like. I have also noticed that the students here don't listen to music as often as people at home do. I could walk around UNT and find thousands of students listening to their Spotify or Apple Music whether they are studying, working out, walking to class, eating, you name it. I have not found that as common in Spain. Even on the metro I don't see that many people listening to music. I think this is important because this limits the use of advertising on music streaming apps.

From what I have seen, television is mostly used for news and sports. Younger Spaniards use Netflix and YouTube for their entertainment but all ages gather around the TV when Nadal is playing tennis or if there is a big news story. I find this interestingly similar to the US because most people my age do not have a TV or a cable subscription. Instead we use Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video and other sites for our on demand selection of entertainment. From what we learned from the guest lecturer about sports in Spain, I can see the connection between the two countries and how the younger generations are not watching TV like previous generations. Even sports have been shortened to highlight the biggest parts of the game so that the younger viewers only have to spend a few minutes to view the game rather than watching it for hours.

I think the traditional media in Spain is not consumed as much by the younger generations similar to the US. The major difference between how the two cultures consume media is how often and for what purpose. In the US, young adults interact more with social media, music and video streaming not only as a form of entertainment, but as a way of self expression, business, and community.

These are some ads I have seen at the metro, on the Barceloneta Beach, in a magazine at a hair salon, and walking through the streets of Madrid. These are considered traditional media advertisements

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