Why people actually watch netflix?

Yes, that’s a genuine question. One which I will try to answer here myself but rather unsatisfactorily. And so that everyone knows, I’m a resident of India so all my views are expressly about Netflix India service and probably not as a subscription service or company on a whole. 

First of all, to all the Netflix lovers out there, let me give you some solid reasons to rethink your stance:-

1. Netflix collection is laughably small. Unless you’re somebody born in the last ten years or never had access to cable TV or Internet earlier, there’s a chance you’ve already watched many things available on Netflix. What's the point of thousands of titles when most of it is uninteresting filler to make the service appear to have huge collection instead of providing some sort of value to the customer?

2. Honestly, Netflix shows are the most well-dressed garbage out there. Netflix originals are usually the most soulless, unoriginal, propagandist and terribly developed shows and movies. Netflix certainly has given us greats in the past like- House of Cards, Bojack Horseman, Stranger Things, etc. but recently it’s all been a popularity game for them. Whatever agenda/topic/actor is popular, gets a Netflix show/movie. They have become so much reliant on popular opinion that they try to tick all the boxes of ‘wow factor’ quotient, which they believe the public will like and then give us the worst representation of our expectations. 

3. They try to lure people by sexually enticing content. ‘Sex sells’ must be the oldest trick in the book but it just doesn’t seem to get old and die. No matter how progressive we become. The most watched Netflix shows/movies are the raunchiest, provocative and yet mindless productions out there. Either that or some horrible violent content. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against pure expression of any art form regardless of the amount of profanity, intensity or gruesomeness of the content. I just won’t approve of it when it’s done to appease and attract an audience instead of actually producing quality content. 

4. Netflix is expensive. I don’t know how much is too much for you but comparing solely on numbers, Netflix is far more expensive than its two biggest competitor streaming services (Disney+Hotstar and Amazon Prime Video). Given Netflix does not provide any extra utility at all, except few different titles, I see no point of it being placed at such a higher price.

5. Their content management is horrible. Netflix specifically presents the most mainstream and run-of-the-mill media available in the vast array of movies and shows from the whole world. A movie you really want to watch? Nope, won’t be here. A classic trilogy with all 3 movies? Nope, not here. A great movie you came across last week and put in your watchlist? Sorry it’s gone from Netflix now. A slightly older series which was critically acclaimed? Sorry buddy, Breaking Bad and Sherlock is the best we can do. Hey, why not watch Friends? For the 15th time? No worries. Good old Friends. Everyone likes Friends. (I can do a whole another article on why Friends in itself is a highly overrated and utterly mediocre show but let’s leave it for another day).

6. Rationally speaking, the competitors just peddle a better product. With Amazon Prime you get a slew of benefits from Amazon including faster delivery, Amazon Music, Amazon Prime Video and more. And it’s still cheaper than one year of Netflix. Disney+Hotstar gives Hotstar Premium, Disney+, HBO Originals, NatGeo and much more variety of content from different providers. And again, at a much lower price than one year of Netflix. The only thing Netflix has more in terms of content is its range of Anime shows. And I highly doubt Netflix is the go to destination for any Anime enthusiast. 

Alright, now back to the original questions which still baffles me- Why do people watch or subscribe to Netflix then?

Why is it such a strong pop culture phenomenon in the country? Why do shows which are a hit on Netflix become the talk of the town so quick?

Trust me, if I had a valid explanation for all this, then I would’ve provided it by now. Although, I have theories. I believe Netflix is so popular and important because of what it stands for. Rather than the utility it provides. Netflix is synonymous with streaming in general. And a new age platform for young people as a common hub of entertainment. The term ‘netflix’ stands for all this and we throw money at it because everybody else is doing so too. 

Popularity of Netflix is a key example of Groupthink. In order to strive for consensus, people readily adopt to what the majority of the public is doing and take up Netflix. So, strangely enough, Netflix’s popularity is the reason for its popularity (yes, I also hate how it sounds). If only people stopped to think for themselves, they could see how unreasonable it is to actually purchase Netflix. Alas, as long as their simple friends are doing it, people will keep buying Netflix. 

Well, in the end, it’s just the opinion of one man I suppose. Maybe people actually love the second-rate content of Netflix so much so to pay extra for it. Maybe they’re too lazy to find anything worthwhile beyond it. Maybe they just don’t know that much better alternatives exist. Maybe they’re too saturated on Netflix content that they forgot what quality content was like. Maybe they are just hitchhiking along with accounts from their rich friends. Who knows?