Entitled mooching millennials are ruining Netflix for everyone

Netflix is revolutionary in much the same way that colour television was for our parents. We are no longer at the mercy of television schedules, adverts are non-existent, and you don’t even have to press a button to play the next episode. 47% of millennials don’t consume ‘traditional’ TV – that is, watching television as it airs, ads and all. We’re far more likely to watch it on an on-demand service, where ads are either shorter or skippable, if they even exist at all.

But beyond advertisements, Netflix has created some amazing programming. This year alone, Stranger Things, Mindhunter, Sinner, The Crown and many more have been released to critical acclaim. Netflix, as a producer, is putting out more ­– and better ­– content than ever. So, why are they running at a massive loss? Oh yes, because you’re using somebody else’s account.

I’m not talking about someone sharing their parents’ account (which is what Netflix expected from the model: one account per household); I’m talking about people who use their sister’s girlfriend’s cousin’s account, for free, with absolutely no regard to the fact they’re contributing to the slow but inevitable death of a service that has changed how we entertain ourselves.

Not to be all millennial-hating, but it’s sheer entitlement that’s fuelling Netflix’s decline

Despite the fact we have a vast array of television at our fingertips, torrenting and illegal downloading are still rife. Netflix Originals aren’t safe from illegal sites either, despite being available on the Internet. People willing to pay aren’t offsetting the cost of those using the service or accessing the content free of charge, and thus prices are having to go up. Which, in turn, is encouraging people to use other people’s accounts or watch the programmes illegally.

Not to be all millennial-hating, but it’s sheer entitlement that’s fuelling Netflix’s decline. We don’t know how good we have it. A Netflix subscription costs £7.99 per month, for the standard package. Do you know how much Sky costs? At least £20 a month. With the expansion of digital television a few years back, we have more free TV than ever, yet too many of us are unwilling to pay the equivalent of a post-Smack snack to access it.

Netflix is fantastic service, putting out original and innovative content, yet we’re seemingly taking it for granted. So no, you can’t have my Netflix password. You want to watch Stranger Things, then you can pay for it yourself. Steve Harrington would be ashamed.