Article written by Michelle Contarino.
Now, we're all familiar with the Netflix streaming service. For people who are tired of flipping through channels and only getting max-volume ads for their troubles, this glorious bountiful is packed full of goodies that can placate one for weeks. This is all well and good for the viewer as they are able to binge shows and films to their heart's content without having to sit through annoying advertisements, but is this good for the television and film industries?
You could say that yes, it is. After all, wouldn't Netflix increase the views of those series and films and otherwise give money back to the people who made them? When you hear it like that, it sounds fair, right? What people seem to miss when they hear things like that, is that Netflix itself is also a company that wants to make money. It’s the world's tenth-largest internet company by revenue alone. That obviously means a lot of money. Where is all that money coming from?
Oh, yes. Those people we were just talking about who wish to skip the advertisements and satisfy their minds with high-quality entertainment. I mean, isn’t the number one rule in the industry: entertain the people? Not exactly. More like: fill our pockets.
Personally, I don’t think I have met someone over the past year who doesn't have Netflix. I always get that stare when I say I don't. A glazed expression. The one that makes you feel like you're missing out on something spectacular that you won't be able to find anywhere else.
I asked one friend why they don't just watch television instead. They snorted and did this air-waving hand movement. That was followed by, "Why would I? Television has ads, and Netflix has more variety." This was said with absolute confusion, like they didn't understand why I had even mentioned something as off-putting as television.
Since when has television become the very last option someone would choose, like the yellow starburst in a lolly bag? I don't like yellow starbursts. I will avoid them until I absolutely have to eat them or end up throwing out the bag with them in it. I feel like television is the exact same. People will only result to watching it if they are unable to access some kind of streaming service.
That leads to another question: Is Netflix the only culprit? Not at all. In fact, there are many other services that are responsible for the lack of people watching television. YouTube is a popular one.
Am I the only person who has noticed little kids on iPads or their parent's phones watching some sort of kids show on YouTube? Didn't think so. I can count on both hands how many family friends' children I have seen with their eyes glued to a large iPad screen or tiny phone screen, something like Thomas the Tank Engine or Adventure Time playing as they watch, captivated by the easily accessible entertainment in front of them.
You could say that the reason people tend to watch Netflix, YouTube or other streaming sites over television is due to availability. Television airs things at one specific time and if you miss that, you need to catch up on a website or, in other cases, miss it entirely. These places provide people with an opportunity to watch what they want without that risk.
Apart from accessibility, Netflix produces and hosts a lot of original content that people will not be able to find anywhere else (unless they stream it on Putlocker and other sites or torrent the files, which are both viewing strategies that are taking away from television also). Another streaming service that produces and hosts original content is Stan, a name you may be familiar with if you watch Home & Away. They aired the Home & Away spin-off An Eye for an Eye which was exclusive only to the people who were customers of the streaming service.
I turn on my television every night and I see advertisements for Netflix or Stan fairly regularly. I tend to change the channel quite promptly as they do not interest me, although I recently did hear that the Premier met with the CEO of Netflix to hopefully arrange that more Netflix series be made in Australia, particularly Queensland. If this plan does not fall through, it would give Netflix a larger audience of people who wish to watch series produced in their country. If we were to get this funding, it would be an incredible boost to the film industry here in Queensland. We would be put on the map in terms of this profession and it may even entice other film makers to our great state.
As someone who is content with watching television, I am not sure if I will join the trend of paying for a Netflix account any time soon. I particularly find myself enjoying re-runs of classic series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or newer series such as Criminal Minds, and the advertisements rarely, if ever, bother me. However, the chance to experience series that were produced in my country does make me rather happy.
What do you prefer? Let me know in the comments what you think about streaming services!
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