Story by Lindsay Grover, Columnist

Photo Courtesy of Canva

With the popularity of streaming, a new binge culture has emerged. Streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and now Disney+ offer viewers access to thousands of TV shows and movies. With this ability, many old shows are resurfacing and finding bigger and younger fan bases than when they originally aired. Streaming offers many perks to the viewer that ordinary television can’t. There are a limited amount of commercials if there are any, and the long boring intros of shows are easy to skip. Whole seasons can be watched within a day and there is no more waiting impatiently for the next nail-biting episode. People are turning away from traditional cable in favor of convenient streaming.

 Earlier this year the Golden Globes saw its first-ever shut out of broadcasted television when Netflix dominated the awards show with 17 nominations.  Does that mean that binging is ruining the TV experience?

One of the primary complaints that I often heard long before Netflix was popular, was that there wasn’t anything good to watch on TV. With TV being the only choice of shows and movies available, people were forced to settle for what was on at that moment. Now that streaming services have come on the scene, that’s definitely changed. 

The endless possibilities and convenience that streaming services provide have enhanced the experience of watching shows and movies. Now people are able to get together to watch a movie without having to go pick it up at Blockbuster or Family Video. Or they can watch a show that truly interests them with the ability to pause and pick it back up the next time they want to watch it instead of having to miss an episode. 

I personally love to stream. My current obsession has been to watch “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” on Hulu. I couldn’t watch it without the streaming capability because it is no longer aired on television. My husband and I have date nights where we watch the next episode of a series together. The most recent series we’re watching together is “Breaking Bad.” It is great because it is cheaper than the movies, or even cable itself and we can pick up right where we left off. Streaming offers us the ability to find something that we both like without one having to concede to the other. 

Whether you prefer streaming services or traditional cable, there’s no doubt that streaming services are here to stay and have completely changed the face of home entertainment.