Netflix Culture: The Effects of Netflix on Society

Binge-Watching

Thanks to Netflix, zombies now do exist and they are called "the binge-watchers". According to en.oxforddictionaries.com, binge watching means to "watch multiple episodes of (a television program) in rapid succession, typically by means of DVDs or digital streaming." This means that staring blankly at a computer screen or smart TV for hours at a time has become such a popular hobby that the Oxford Dictionary has declared "binge-watching" as an official word. Many Netflix owners partake in this activity because Netflix releases episodes by the season instead of the usual one per week routine like cable. Binge-watchers decide that there is no reason to go through the suspense of a cliff hanger ending when the next episode is just 15 seconds away. 

According to Sydneyeve Matrix's essay "The Netflix Effect: Teens, Binge Watching, and On-Demand Digital Media Trends", the marathon watching that Netflix causes when they release all episodes of a season at one time dismantles social TV viewing practices.

As a larger share of the TV audience consumes more TV shows via Netflix and other OTT (over-the-top) services, some critics argue that such consumption practices interfere with the cultural unification effects (or “water cooler talk”) that bond people through shared, mass-mediated experiences.

-Sydneyeve Matrix, "The Netflix Effect: Teens, Binge Watching, and On-Demand Media Trends"

Before Netflix, there was a time when people would discuss each episode as they were aired on cable. The day after a new episode of ER aired, everyone at school or work would be chatting about their thoughts, feelings, and predictions of the storyline. This is the type of social bonding that Matrix refers to as "cultural unification effects". Since binge-watching has become so popular now, it is difficult to be at the same point of the season as someone else. This makes discussing the show nearly impossible due to the risk of spoiling the ending for someone. If more people are unable to gossip about what they saw on TV the night before, TV will become an isolating experience. 

Talk show hosts are already making fun of the isolating effects that Netflix has brought upon our society. 
In this video, Ellen Degeneres jokes about how binge-watching can lead to not seeing your family for three months. Although this is an over exaggeration for comedic purposes, this is becoming a serious problem. Binge-watching has shown to be highly addicting and (in extreme cases) can cause people to lose relationships with their friends or family. 

 

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