The answer to this question has budgetary implications given how the cost differential between the platforms. If you are a millennial, your top four platforms, based on a recent survey, are:

• Netflix
• Cable TV
• Hulu
• Amazon Prime

Hat tip to VisualCapitalist for this infographic: 

Questions for your students:

• What are your two favorite platforms to watch television? How about your parents/guardians?
• What are top rated platforms for millennials? for non-millennials? How do they differ?
• What is the relationship between the stock price for Netflix and hours of TV watched? How would you explain that relationship?
• Pick one of the top 5 platforms (Netflix, Cable TV, Hulu, Amazon Prime and Apple TV) and do a pros/cons analysis. Be sure to include the cost of the service in your analysis. Use your local Cable operator and a standard cable package for your analysis.
• If you currently have cable TV, devise a strategy that might allow you to “cut the cord” and determine the costs of your current service and your new strategy.

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Looking for a budgeting activity to engage your students? Here’s our most popular one (Create: A Salary Based Budget) in which your students will learn first-hand what it costs to be an adult.

About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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