‘We Pay to Buy Ourselves’: Netflix, Spectators & Streaming

Abstract

This article explains how Netflix has transformed the ways in which we interact with media in the contemporary milieu. I argue that Netflix works through a process of planned differentiation, designing unique customization experiences to create a new type of media user that participates in its global and regional release and production strategies. This leads me into a discussion of how the Netflix interface manages the spectators’ experience through a series of connected features. Thus, I detail Netflix’ personalization mechanisms, proposing that, ultimately, its users ‘pay to buy themselves’, or the version of themselves its interface offers back to users upon systematically gathering data on their habits. Finally, I remark that the key characteristics of the current streaming service/spectator relationship are deceptive limitlessness, customization, the automation of content flow and ubiquity, weaving a form of audiovisual engagement that has partially and, at times completely, conquered our everyday.

Face/Off: Changing the face of movies with deepfakes

“…In 2021, Netflix launched a ‘Play Something’ feature, a shuffle option where Netflix will select something for you to watch. This feature allows the viewer to bypass all decision making and its very existence speaks to the pressure and paralysis that can accompany too much choice [ 67 ]. Deepfake recasting then is perhaps a risky addition to the viewing experience, as viewers would be required not only to select the film or series they would like to watch, but to cast the show as well.…”

Digital subscribers: Between freedom and constraint

“…However, as the answer to the second research question will detail, the fragmentation of content, like series or movies, in multiple platforms make the respondents constantly wish for a bundle with a single platform per type of content. Now, on to the second research query, concerning the affordances and limitations experienced by digital subscribers in their use of such services, the most prominent aspect in the set of affordances experienced by subscribers participating in the study is the flexibility and freedom offered by these services to customize their consumption and entertainment experience (Rodríguez Ortega, 2023;Turow, 2017;Webster, 2021). Subscribers to digital services find some advantages and possibilities in their daily use of these services, whether it is the simplicity of starting, suspending, or canceling a subscription, the convenience of using these services in almost any location or context, or, as occurs in the on-demand culture (Pilipets, 2019;Tryon, 2013), the ability to customize the user experience by being able to consume content according to the users' habits, routines, or tastes.…”

“…One of the results of the technological evolution of these recommendation systems is the personalization of the media experience in which platforms presume their users’ preferences (Turow, 2017). For example, streaming services generate highly personalized experiences through planned differentiation that seeks to shape their users’ preferences (Rodríguez Ortega, 2023; Webster, 2021). One consequence of this customization closely linked to algorithmic power and culture is the commercial exploitation that digital platforms conduct of their users’ data (Kübler et al, 2021).…”

Adaptive Video Streaming: Navigating Challenges, Embracing Personalization, and Charting Future Frontiers

“…To optimize the video streaming experience, it is crucial to delve into the intricacies of user preferences and behavior 0, [16], [3]. Users exhibit diverse tastes, ranging from preferred genres to specific viewing times.…”