Let’s be honest, who hasn’t stayed up way too late watching Netflix? The minute one episode ends, Netflix throws the next one at you before you even have time to think. Suddenly it’s 3am and you’ve watched an entire season. That’s not an accident. It’s exactly how internet-distributed television like Netflix has reshaped the way we engage with shows.

By releasing full seasons at once, we don’t have to wait week after week for the next episode. Instead, we now have entire seasons available at once, allowing audiences to straight from episode to the next without commercials or interruptions. As Forte et al. (2021) point out, binge-watching fosters an immersive experience, allowing viewers to stay emotionally engaged with the story without interruption. This continuous viewing experience, free from commercial breaks or weekly gaps, has redefined how we consume TV. Shows are now crafted to encourage binge-watching, with cliffhangers and tightly connected episodes that keep viewers hooked. It’s no longer just about watching individual episodes, but about getting lost in a story for hours, sometimes even days.

Lotz (2014) talks about this shift as a kind of mass customization. Basically, we’re all watching TV differently now, on our own terms. as Lotz also discuss the convenience of streaming can lead to “non-linear viewing,” where viewers are constantly faced with overwhelming choices. In fact, this endless supply of content can lead to “choice paralysis,” making it difficult to choose what to watch next.

In addition to changing viewing habits, Netflix has also transformed the production side of television. Shows like Stranger Things, which reportedly costs up to $30 million per episode (Stoll, 2024), have pushed the boundaries of what we expect from TV. With movie-level production values and intricate storytelling, Netflix shows are raising the bar for quality.

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• Forte, G. et al. (2021). ‘Binge-watching: Development and validation of the binge-watching addiction questionnaire.’ Behavioral Sciences, 11(2), p. 27. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs11020027
• Lotz, A.D. (2014). The television will be revolutionized. NY, NY: New York University Press.
• Stoll, J. (2024). Most expensive Netflix series 2023. Statista. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1249573/most-expensive-netflix-original-series-production-cost-per-episode/