Innovations... the Impact of Netflix  

Netflix. New shifts in TV consumption created the birth of streaming platforms. This creative disruption has its roots in changing consumer habits. The influx of interest in transmedia storytelling and a heavy emphasis on prolonged narrative structures, made binge-watching a commonplace trend in media. Netflix, drawing influences from archival movie features, such as on-demand, fused with production originals and series fostering the binge-worthy appetite, inevitably became widely successful. All these factors made Netflix extremely alluring to consumers as now all their watching habits could be brought together under one, easily accessible platform. Even by offering a base of five accounts, Netflix successfully marketed their affordability too. 

So how does this relate to Roger Everett's Diffusion of Innovations Theory. The theory explains how, why, and at what rate new ideas and technology spread. In order for a innovation to penetrate the social atmosphere of our culture and consumer trends, four main elements are needed: the innovation, communication channels, time (obviously), and a social system (innately). Pertaining to the success of Netflix, the innovation itself was popular given its varying features (movie base, series, and originals, renting options, and profile creations). Next, a communication channel. This was easy, as the internet serves as a massive communication channel. App creation contributed greatly to this as well. Accessing Netflix through your browser and compatible forms on an app, surpasses device complications as every phone, computer, or tablet can access the platform with simple internet connection. Its maneuverability with syncing profiles to TVs was also crucial in establishing Netflix's successful roots. Following channels, time is needed to allow the innovation to reach all parts of the nation, and in Netflix's case, the world. Netflix was originally created in 1997. Being 2020, and us aware of how heavily we rely on the platform and just how many of us hold accounts (typically everyone you know…) Netflix has afforded itself with enough time to allow the innovation to be popularized and internally reinvented to appease audiences' growing concerns and wishes for the product's adaptability. Lastly, a social system… the influence of TV and film was already heavily ingrained in our culture and society as our dependency on technology exponentially took off. The film industry and TV was always constantly adapted to fit modern media consumption habits. This was because media is typically the main source that masses derive their information and entertainment from. It surpasses geographical, monetary, and social concerns as information is easily accessible from the comforts and confines of your home, room, or any other place you chose to access media from. Netflix utilized this dependency to create a widely successful innovation, that today, generates mass profit and funds a plethora of projects worldwide. 

Netflix was methodical in its consumer relatability. Many became early adopters of this innovation because it combined a variety of popular consumer habits together in one neat package… again offering a preliminary five profiles (this makes it family friendly and seemingly more affordable). Early adopters hopped on the trend quick and paved the way for later consumers who were finally convinced that streaming platforms were the new way of things. People began to realize that paying for channels on cable could easily be replaced with a monthly amount that offered more variety in content and viewership. This was Netflix's goal.

Now, the downside… Netflix, like Disney, are ever growing platforms that consume many productions, fund projects, and buy up other platforms. This can be dangerous as media conglomerations begin to form. This is reminiscent of industry monopolies; the mass control of all aspects of an industry under one corporation. There is a reason why our government put bans on monopolies (Yeah Rockefeller had a huge one on oil). Monopolies will generate mass profits and take away all competition which directly goes against America's capitalistic values. Regarding media, conglomerations are dangerous in the sense that they can impose ideological beliefs easier into our society and culture by producing media content all with the same messaging and commentary on something. In other words, these conglomerations have the power to sway how our culture thinks based on the media it produces, being that it controls all those channels and platforms of production. This is something us as heavy media consumers must always be aware of… know the social implications!  

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Netflix-Inc