We live in an era where anything we could ever want is just a click away.

But that privilege can easily be taken away by a higher authority or an expired copyright license.

With physical media, your favorite movies and shows can’t disappear if you already own them.

Over the summer, fans of the 2004 television show “Lost” were dismayed to learn that it would be leaving Netflix on Aug. 15.

The top response from Reddit user throwaway483949839 in a forum thread dedicated to the show suggested that Losties, as fans are known, should “just buy physical copies!”

While there hasn’t been a study examining how many members of Gen Z are now collecting CDs and DVDs, film industry legends are eagerly encouraging the trend.

In response to Christopher Nolan’s concerns that films could easily disappear if they were only available for streaming, director Guillermo del Toro posted on X.

“If you own a great 4K HD, Blu-ray, DVD etc etc of a film or films you love… you are the custodian of those films for generations to come,” del Toro wrote.

I couldn’t have agreed more.

The average American spends $508 on streaming services a year, according to a study by reviews.org.

That’s almost the cost of taking two classes at El Camino College.

Not only is it easy to find the first few seasons at any thrift store, but there are so many benefits to jumpstarting your own physical media collection.

You’re free from the stress of having to carve out an afternoon to binge watch the first season when you find out it will be moving to yet another streaming service that you would have to waste more money on.

For the price of a month’s subscription of Netflix or Hulu, you can buy a couple of DVDs or a season boxset of your favorite show.

Goodwill, Salvation Army, Book Off and Savers all sell DVDs for under $5.

When you have your own copy, it gives you the freedom to watch it as many times as you want.

Earlier this year, I hit the jackpot at my local Savers when I got five of the first 10 seasons of “The Simpsons.”

When I showed off my haul to friends and online, everyone was quick to point out that I now had the banned episode — season three’s “Stark Raving Dad,” which is not available on Disney Plus because of sexual abuse allegations against guest star Michael Jackson.

Collecting physical media means the freedom to curate what I want my DVD stash to be. My little clutch of zombie movies, “Futurama” boxsets and British comedies are an extension of who I am.

These DVDs save me the hassle of trying to find them online.

When you have the copies on hand, you don’t have to waste money on a streaming service you’ll use only a handful of times a month.

Between going to school and working full-time, I don’t have the free time to sit down and binge watch “Futurama.” Not now, and not until I graduate.

My time and money have become more precious than ever. But my DVDs will be waiting for me.