Over the past few years, Netflix has become what is now everybody’s guiltless guilty pleasure.  Netflix has risen above the rest of its streaming competitors with its ability to provide access to hundreds of movies, documentaries, and TV shows from the U.S. and more. The streaming party has developed a culture of its own that has swept the nation in a whirlwind of obsession. How did Netflix achieve such popularity? The answer lies in its features: the ability to binge watch, the variety of ways to watch, and excellent titles that’s reel us in.

One of the most beloved aspects Netflix is the ability to watch consecutive seasons and episodes of a show.  When we have an entire series at our fingertips, it presents the question: to binge or not to binge? According to sophomore Becky Vasquez, binge watching “makes cliffhangers less intense.”

The most convenient of Netflix’s features is the many ways to stream.  Netflix is the ultimate companion.  With its app being in the Google Play store and the App store, you can take Netflix with you wherever you go via cell phone, tablet, and laptop.  However, there are still those of us who prefer quality over convenience, which is no problem for streamers who have a Smart TV, Roku, or even an Xbox.  “I prefer the TV because the image is nice and crisp, and I can cuddle up with a blanket and some food.” says sophomore Lilly Kopaczewski.  

Perhaps the greatest part of Netflix that has skyrocketed in popularity over the years in Its original shows. Several of these shows like Orange is The New Black and House of Cards have become favorites, but at the peak of attention this summer was Stranger Things.  References to this show seemed to saturate the internet wherever you looked.  There seemed to be something about those characters that just won the hearts of the people.

“I think people relate to Stranger Things because they can relate to the characters more than most other tv shows out now,” says Alexis Zieminski, sophomore.  “Modern tv shows show there being a “superhero” or someone who is very much better than every other character in almost every way. The show is full of outcasts; people that usually are not thought of as “main character material”.”  

Netflix also knows how to target our childhood-cherishing hearts. First came Fuller House, and, soon to come, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. Revival shows like these, along with Disney’s Girl Meets World, awaken that bittersweet nostalgia in us all. This TV tactic has brought forth mixed reactions among the masses. On the positive side, we may be able to gain closure about the lives of our past favorite characters. “These shows remind us of a “better” time.” says Zieminski. On the flip side, as simply said by Becky Vasquez, via Dean Winchester, “What’s dead should stay dead.”

However you see it, Netflix’s ability to keep people watching is undeniable.