At the end of this module you will be able to:

• Familiarise with new IT services for your entertainment

Reading books, enjoying music, re-watch your favorite film…

• Discover new solutions for digital payments

Both safe and reliable

• Have a brief look into the DigComp 2.1

The official EU framework for education and training on digital skills for all EU citizens

In the last couple years, digital technologies changed radically the way we consume product and services from the entertainment industry. 

In the context of this training module, your will be introduced to common digital services for your own enjoyment of free time – let it be reading a book, watching a movie or listening your favourite musician…

It is no doubt that services like YouTube, Netflix, Audible, etc., disrupted the way people spend time on the Internet and nurture their own interests / hobbies.

Nowadays, people are getting more and more used (and comfortable) to fast and “immediate” satisfaction, which explains why such services are gathering this sort of worldwide success and recognition…

This digital services eliminates any time-delay barriers from the emergence of a need, to its consequent satisfaction.  

Cinemas, libraries, theatres, museums, and similar, are getting replaced by their 2.0 counterpart.

Organisations that belongs to this traditional industry (i.e., culture and entertainment) are catching up on the trend as many huge tech giants made of this trend their core business, with the risk to overshadow them completely.

When it comes to digital entertainment, YouTube knows no competition. Founded in Feb 2005 by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen e Jawed Karim (former PayPal employees), YouTube is a video sharing platform that as of today counts billions and billions of users.

Already in 2006, Google recognised the incredible potential of YouTube and bought it for $1.65 Billions. If you nurture any kind of hobby, YouTube can offer you thousands and thousands of videos for your entertainment.

Where’s there a business opportunity, there’s most likely the name of Jeff Bezos involved in it. Prime Video is an on demand services of Amazon.

Originally launched in 2006, as of today Prime Video has the exclusive right of some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters – as the James Bond’ saga – and sport events as UEFA Champions League and UEFA Supercup.

Prime Video’s biggest competitor, Netflix remains one the largest go-to services for on demand provision of TV series and entertainment services.

Throughout the years, Netflix became such a huge phenomenon that it started producing its own series – most of which gathering colossal success and popular acclamation.

Launched in 2019, Disney+ is the most recent on demand video service available on the market.

Noticing the trend, the Walt Disney Company jumped on the wagon with “bulletproof” titles from Disney of course, as well as Pixar, 20th Century Studios Marvel, Lucas Films (Star Wars’ publisher), National Geographic and many more.

Even Apple did not contain the temptation of exploring the opportunities of the on demand video service market.

Since its launch in 2019, and a massive marketing campaign, Apple TV+ claimed to have gathered nearly 20 Million subscribers in US and Canada only.

In the last couple of years, a phenomenon that is gaining considerable interest and traction among general public is represented by audiobooks – books that you don’t read in first person, but listen to someone lease reading them for you…

Bought in 2008 by Amazon for $300 Million, with more than 60.000 titles Audible is the largest providers of audiobooks.

Together with video streaming, audio streaming platforms and podcasts are also representing a very interesting industry to tap in. Soundcloud was originally the go-to platform for aspiring professional musicians, allowing them to promote for free their music and network with other artists all over the world.

Although its core business remained music industry, during years Soundcloud started to be an appealing platform for audio entertainment in general, including podcasts and news broadcasting.   

If we talk about music sharing and podcasts, it is impossible not to mention Spotify.

Spotify is the go-to service to enjoy a tailor-made compilation of your favourite music genre of your favourite history, mainstream culture, culinary recipes etc. narrator…

iTunes is a service by Apple Inc. The app consists of one of the largest digital market place for music.

Users can store and organise their digital library by albums and songs in a very intuitive and user-friendly manner.

If you’re old-fashioned and don’t wish to renounce to the pleasure of reading, here’s a list of eBook apps for you to consider:

Due to COVID pandemic, new solutions for contactless payments saw an exponential rise in 2020 and 2021. Click on the image to check their offer and services:

If you feel like keeping up with all these new digital technologies is too difficult for you, most likely is because you might not have a tangible guidance that sustains you throughout your digitalisations.

…If that is the case, allow us to introduce you to the DigComp Framework developed by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.

The DigComp is the official EU framework for education and training of EU citizens on digital skills and IT proficiency.

First developed in 2013, the latest version of the DigComp (DigComp 2.1, 2017) list a total of 21 competences under 5 training areas of interest.

…the first two training areas might be of particular interest for you. They include competences and skills that can help you in better navigating the digital ecosystem (i.e., sharing tasty cooking recipes with your friends and family, video chat with your niece in college, etc.).

The DigComp comes also with an 8-layer proficiency model you can rely on to (self) assess your progresses on each of the 21 DigComp’s competences.