Tag: BCM111

Gone are the days I work my evening schedule around catching my favourite show on cable television. The internet creates a world where consumers can watch what they want, when they want, within a click. Netflix is an example of this. As consumers, we like different realities and choice. Netflix offers a vast variety of content that is accessible to subscribers whenever they want.  Netflix is also popular due to how it shapes culture and norms; especially in the Western world. Netflix is also quick and easy, and therefore, it works for the ‘binge’ generation we currently live in.

Article ‘The Secrets of Netflix Success’ by Jasper Jackson discusses why Netflix is a global success story.  Netflix is available in every country except for North Korea, Syria, China and Crimea, and translates to 23 different languages. Shows such as ‘Narcos’ (about Central American drug trade), and ‘Death Note’ (a Japanese Manga) help draw local viewers while also appealing to a global audience (Jackson, 2017). This viewer combination provides Netflix with a large audience scale.

Although Netflix is global, it is still extremely Westernized.  Just under half of Netflix subscriptions are from the United States, and the top ten countries that use Netflix most are all Western (Iqbal, 2019). This is because Western countries are in the ‘global North’. Nations in the global North are wealthy, developed and powerful. Therefore, most of the people who live in the global North can afford internet, televisions, computers and Netflix subscriptions. This can explain why Netflix mostly appeals to Western audiences.

Netflix says a lot about the world we live in. We consume with no effort and dip into other worlds with no personal consequence. Article ‘The Impact of International Television: A Paradigm Shift’ by Michael G. Elasmar discusses why we enjoy television as consumers, “information is readily available, little effort is needed to process it, realities are presented in summary forms and simple portrayals of cultural groups and their environments” (Elasmar, 2002, p.29).

Netflix also plays a huge part in shaping culture, as it starts trends on a global scale. Elasmar examines three theories which suggest that the television we consume has effects on its global viewers. These theories can help explain why Netflix is so influential.

Cultivation theory suggests that television presents an inaccurate picture of reality that is easily accepted by viewers, due to the pervasiveness of the images presented (Elasmar, 2002).

Social cognitive theory implies that because we learn through observation, therefore what we watch has large influence on our values and behaviours (Elasmar, 2002).

Cognitive functional theory believes that audiences easily accept and adopt values, behaviours and norms portrayed in television when these cultural forms are seen effective in earning rewards (Elasmar, 2002).

Overall, Netflix is a global phenomenon due to how diverse, fast and easy it is.  Netflix allows consumers to explore new worlds within an instant. Due to how many countries Netflix reaches, it has the power to make trends in society, especially in Western culture. Most importantly, Netflix is transferrable and fast. These factors explain why Netflix is so popular in this generation, and why cable television is slowly but surely losing its place in the world.

References

Elasmar, M 2002, ‘The Impact of International Television: A Paradigm Shift’, Routledge pp. 29-30

Iqbal, M 2019 ‘Netflix Revenue and Usage Statistics’, Business of Apps, viewed on 10/08/2019, https://www.businessofapps.com/data/netflix-statistics/

Jackson, J 2017, ‘The secrets of Netflix’s success’, New Statesman, vol 146, pp. 19