An average student would rather climb into bed and begin absorbing content on Netflix after a long day of stressful classes, than dive straight into hours of homework. Whether laughing at the hilarious content featured or feeling stressed over a character’s story rather than your own, these are all ways of releasing oneself from the repetitive, exhausting nature of online school.  

As more time has been spent at home than ever during the pandemic, the viewership of streaming services has increased greatly, new shows have been produced, and content has been consumed incredibly fast. 

Netflix is a movie and show streaming platform that is extremely popular due to the diversity in shows and easy accessibility, as well as the well-directed and filmed original content they produce. 

However, many of the more iconic shows people generally adore and turn to for comfort are going to be taken off the platform starting in December, including The Notebook, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, and Back to the Future. Comfort shows are shows that are watched repetitively, because the familiarity makes viewers feel safe and happy. If many of the shows that generate the most money and media are not being streamed anymore and are pushed to different platforms, this could result in Netflix having a drop in users.  

There are contrasting perspectives and opinions about popular shows like The Office, Gossip Girl, The West Wing; however, these comfort shows are still relevant and loved by many. Webb students also express connections to these shows, interweaving references and inside jokes from mentioned shows into daily conversations.  

Richard Alrachid (‘22) enjoys Netflix’s simple interface and the wide variety of entertainment available. His favorite show is definitively The Office as a result of their ‘good mood comedy,’ and he also uses Netflix to watch anime.  

“If Netflix loses streaming rights to those shows, I will definitely switch platforms,” Richard said. “I would probably switch to Hulu, or Crunchyroll to keep watching the shows I like.”  

Hulu, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company, is a similar streaming platform with an incredible range of shows available, including live and on demand TV. Crunchyroll, another streaming service, was created by UC Berkeley alumni in 2006 and gives accessibility to popular anime content and manga. 

Julia Fenner (’23) is a committed Netflix user, as she loves scrolling through content of many genres daily. She is unfazed by the Netflix shows leaving, because she has many other good choices still at hand, namely, Grey’s Anatomy, Community, and Criminal Minds.  

“I really like Netflix’s layout compared to other streaming services as it is just much easier to navigate for me,” Julia said. 

Sam Zeiden (’23) believes that when his newly discovered show, The West Wing, leaves, he will be prepared to switch to a new streaming service such as HBO or Hulu. The West Wing appealed to Sam by realistically portraying the way the US government works from an inside perspective. 

“I’m using Netflix currently because it displays such a wide variety of content. Sometimes I’m in the mood to watch a documentary and sometimes I’m in the mood to watch a horror movie,” Sam said. “Netflix has it all.”  

Although many of the beloved popular shows are leaving Netflix, the admirable and attractive aesthetic of the service keeps users loyal, and the wide range of original media keeps Netflix favored. Overall, Webb students appear relatively nonchalant; therefore, Netflix appears to have methods to avoid a decrease in viewership following December.