Gone are the days of Netflix subscription mail-in service. No need to wait to see re-runs of your favorite show on the weekend. All of this and more is available at the click of a button through your streaming service of choice.
In the past year streaming services have grown in popularity as people have been stuck at home. A recent study by Deloitte on digital media trends shows that 80% of Americans now subscribe to a streaming service-up 7% from their pre-COVID-19 summary.
Netflix, HBO, Peacock and many others have provided old re-runs as well as brand new pilots. In many ways, these shows have connected people in a time where social connection can be scarce.
Eleanor Patterson, assistant professor in media studies at Auburn University, got her Ph.D at the University of Wisconsin with a focus in broadcast history. Her specialty lies in radio and television.
“Platforms that do streaming are part of this longer trajectory of home video,” Patterson said.
She likens streaming to an earlier form of more informal distribution: bootleg television.
“Now, [there is] this emphasis on digital platforms as a form of distribution and recognition of the value of catalogs of old content that people want to watch over and over again, which I think it relative to the pandemic, too,” she said.
Patterson said she feels this desire to have catalog content to rewatch is a pre-pandemic concept found in the value of home videos.
“Television – I would say – has always created this space where we connect with people,” Patterson said.
Samantha Avila, junior in public relations, said, before the pandemic, she and her friends would have “girls’ night” at each other’s apartments with drinks and snacks, all gathering around a new TV show.
“Since the pandemic cut off in-person activities, it was hard to get used to not seeing each other,” Avila said.
However, they quickly solved this problem by hosting their “girls’ nights” virtually through Zoom share features, she said.
As COVID restrictions were lifted, Avila and two of her friends had a masked and social distanced watch party in her garage. There, they binged a new Netflix original, "Bridgerton."
“It's not the same, but it's the best we can do, and I can confidently say that movies [and] shows have definitely helped me stay connected to my friends,” Avila said.
Ezequiel Gonzalez-Ansaldi, sophomore in political science, said he also used television as a way to connect with his friends and family. "Tiger King" was the show that started it all for Ezequiel.
“You would talk to friends and be like, ‘Oh, have you watched Tiger King?’ and you’d try to get people to watch it that way you can start a conversation,” he said.
With shows like "The Mandalorian," Gonzalez-Ansaldi said it allowed people to keep the conversation going week to week.
Through the Disney Plus group feature, Ezequiel said he was able to watch shows with his brother who lives in a different city.
“Even though the world was different, it allowed us to connect,” he said.
Social media has created a space for conversation on what to watch next. In the past, shows like "Friends" have aired on a Fixed-Point Schedule to build loyalty by having the show at the same time every week, Patterson said. Disney Plus follows this model today.
“They’re using weekly episodes to draw subscribers in and keep them subscribing,” Patterson said. “You can still watch it on-demand on your own schedule, but I think you’re motivated to watch it fairly soon so it’s not spoiled.”
Ezequiel said he will gladly and routinely wake up at 2 a.m. for the next episode in a Disney Plus series. Avila, on the other hand, said, she normally moves on to the next episode immediately.
“If I'm being honest, I love binge-watching a show. If it's really good, I just can't not click 'Next Episode.'”
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
Emery Lay, junior in journalism, is a lifestyle writer at The Auburn Plainsman.
