I don’t pay for my family’s Netflix subscription. I have yet to upgrade to Spotify Premium. The BBC News is the only news app on my phone (because it cost me $0). I occasionally have friends who will share their HBO accounts with me. Time and again I circumvented paying small fees for my entertainment and news. Avoiding these payments is not unusual. But I am starting to change how I approach media consumption.

I started first by buying a subscription to The New York Times which I found out was a mere $4. Instead of finding seedy sites on the internet to watch a TV show I subscribed to Hulu. It is not a new or uncommon for young adults like me to illegally watch movies and television or download music. But l feel a sense of guilt knowing I may have deprived an up-and-coming artist of needed funds or contributed to the decline of quality media. I can now say I am happy to contribute to organizations I find trustworthy, reliable, and legal.

From my experience most 20-somethings bypass paying for media and avoid ads like the plague while consuming entertainment at high rates. The irony is we want quality products but are unwilling to pay. If you are a university student there are many discounts available to you. There is no reason why we can’t support our media outlets if we are consuming their content.

Think about how you can affect media. You can support creators who produce valuable content. When you invest in a business you can cast a vote on what you believe to be important. There is so much you as an individual can do. An all too familiar saying states there is power in money. Therefore, we need to use the little money we have as students to invest in the industries we find trusting and compelling.

I urge you to subscribe to at least one media outlet -- it can range from The New York Times to Tidal. Start with a company that offers you affordable rates and is compelling. My New York Times subscriptions is one of the best decisions I’ve made as a student. What will you do with your next dollar?