I cannot remember the last time I actually picked up a DVD and used it to watch a movie. I use Netflix, Hulu, Drama Fever, Apple Store and Amazon Prime for all of my entertainment needs. I suppose for me, internet streaming has replaced the old technology completely. When this kind of replacement happens society wide it become an example of a red queen in tech speak. This was discussed in the video casts by Thornburg in the Walden resources. This same idea has been discussed in the scientific world as the red queen hypothesis. The idea that evolutionary changes in one organisms can lead to the extinction of another(Van Valen, 1973). It is interesting that living things follow the same basic pattern as technology and its acceptance into society.
Thornburg (2008) mentions the need for students to understand emerging technologies to better prepare for the future and how it will effect them. I believe this is why DVD and streaming are included in the tetrad because it is happening right now. We are analyzing a red queen phenomenon in real time and it helps us to better understand what will be happening in our future.
Read the red queen hypothesis
http://www.indiana.edu/~curtweb/Research/Red_Queen%20hyp.html
Thornburg, D. D. (2008). //Emerging technologies and McLuhan's Laws of Media//. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.
