My dear daughter,
Due to the Netflix effect, nowadays everybody is addicted to series or streamed shows. Actually they raised the bar for quality dramatic series in the early 2000’s with TV shows like Breaking Bad, The Wire and The Sopranos. Then Netflix took over with streaming online services, and nowadays everyone watches series all the time on their smartphones and tablets. It’s funny because, as the drama quality got higher, screens got smaller.
Today there is an epidemic of series addiction and myopia.
Netflix started in the 90’s as a DVD rental and they also delivered DVDs by mail. As the internet infrastructure became more advanced, with higher speeds and larger coverage, it was possible to start a whole new streaming sector. As the globe got immersed in Wi-Fi signals and the continents connected by submarine cables, every person with a smartphone became a consumer of streaming services.
Then Netflix started producing its own content, like movies, series and even anime. They introduced a new way of presenting shows. Instead of recording a pilot episode to see if it goes well with audiences, they record an entire season, with 10-20 episodes, taking advantage of the fact that viewers like to binge watch, or watch all episodes in a row, in a single sit, like real addicts. They also use complex algorithms to collect subscriber data and present directed content, to make sure the viewer keeps on watching for the longest time possible, displaying a personalized selection of content.
The downside is, their movies’ catalog sucks and it’s missing many of the good old ones. Nobody even watches those movies anymore, because it’s easier to find something else to watch on Netflix. In time, competitors arrived, like Hulu, Amazon’s service, Google’s service, nowadays every big tech company has a streaming service.
It’s not an exaggeration to say people won’t watch anything unless it’s on Netflix. There are TV shows which had mediocre ratings when aired on regular TV Networks, and skyrocketed when they were shown on Netflix.
It’s also curious that nowadays Netflix operates with huge financial loss – they spend much more than what they get from subscribers. Investors don’t seem to care, though. Money keeps flooding in. They are betting all out on their model, in the hopes that in the future everybody will watch Netflix instead of TV.
Love,
Dad
Aspergers Dad 