Netflix truly sparked an age of streaming services becoming more popular. From Hulu to Zeus and so many more, viewers are left feeling we have to have every subscription to stay up to date on what’s going on in television and film. The best part of streaming services is the on-demand viewing of any show or movie without commercials, for the most part. The growth of streaming was initially exciting, but it has become overwhelming with the 25+ different platforms that all have various original shows and movies.
It’s also becoming costly. All of these platforms range from $5-$30 a month. According to a 2021 survey conducted by Deloitte, 82% of US households subscribe to at least one video streaming service. Netflix is the most popular video streaming service in the USA, with over 60% of households subscribed to the platform, according to a Statista report.
Over the weekend, Netflix was set to release the live reunion for Love is Blind season 4, but after fans waited for 40+ minutes, the network decided to air it as a pre-recorded episode. The significant error left many fans and subscribers very upset and questioning whether they wanted to continue their subscriptions. Many took to Twitter to express how they miss live TV and shows being aired on networks week by week.
To add to the headache of navigating the streaming boom, Netflix previously announced the streaming service was eliminating password sharing, which would cause many people to purchase a subscription. This move by Netflix would directly impact students who are already financially strained.
Students also are starting to feel this cycle of paying for so many services at once is exhausting.
Chelsea Lafrance, a fourth-year cardiopulmonary science major, thinks cable should be the norm again.
“I’m tired of going to one app for one show and another for another show. And Love is Blind not being aired live the way it should’ve been shows their trying too hard to overcomplicate these streaming services and need to focus on making it more affordable,” Lafrance said.
Tayah Fuller, a second-year criminal justice major, also feels there should be a solution to this issue.
“If there weren’t so many, it wouldn’t be as bad, but we went from paying one price for 100 plus channels to paying $10 each for ten channels, and it seems pretty backwards,” Fuller said.
Netflix has not yet announced what they have decided to do about password sharing.