Is Netflix Going Downhill?

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Samantha Roman, Staff Writer

Netflix, which has been a prominent part of modern society, has blown up the past few years. Netflix has a variety of shows and movies for anyone to watch, including content aimed for ages ranging from young children to adults. I have enjoyed many shows and movies on Netflix; however, sometimes the platform removes shows or movies from its site. (I am someone who watches shows more than once if I thoroughly enjoy them.) Some of the discontinued shows include The Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl, Friends, and Gilmore Girls. Sadly, two of my favorite shows are being taken off of Netflix. 

Netflix fluctuates with its content, taking off some shows or movies while keeping others.  Friends, The Office, Gossip Girl, 90210, and many popular shows have already been removed from Netflix or are scheduled to be removed.

In some instances, shows that I have started and then go back to finish at a later time, end up gone before I can finish watching them. Gossip Girl was one of my favorite shows, and now that it is scheduled to be taken off, I have nowhere to watch it after January 2021. 

This is not to say that Netflix doesn’t have a great variety of shows. They have dramas, holiday movies, documentaries, criminal justice shows, mysteries, and all types of options, including many current popular shows: New Girl, Gilmore Girls, Glee, Jane the Virgin, Stranger Things, and Criminal Minds to name a few.

I also am not a fan of “cheesy” Netflix original movies. Many of them have similar plot lines and seem to be taking up space on the streaming platform instead of shows like The Office and Friends, which many people enjoy. I like many shows and movies, but some of Netflix’s content seems to be poorly made with a repetitive plotline. 

Fortunately, other platforms, such as Hulu, allow me to find more interesting streaming content. I’ve realized each streaming platform has its strengths and weaknesses. The Office and Friends are two of the best comedic shows on Netflix, and by January 2021, they both will be taken off the platform. Netflix must consider actions like these, as they may later face financial consequences if viewers look to other platforms to seek the content they crave.