When the pandemic first hit, people were worried about food, safety, and the economy. But the one thing they never asked themselves was, how are we going to entertain ourselves? And that’s all thanks to streaming services like Netflix.

In the past seven months alone, people have binge-watched tiger keepers, cold case murders and disappearances, and girls going to Paris. If it weren’t for the concept of binge-watching, we’d probably never finish most of these shows. But did you know, Netflix actually encourages us to binge their content? Sure, it doesn’t seem like it when the service asks, “are you still watching 100% Hotter?” and the shame that you watched seven episodes in a row seeps in. Binge-watching is Netflix’s entire business model, and they have ways to get people to keep their eyes glued to its many content offerings.

According to Wired, Netflix basically rewrote what it means to watch, and rewatch, shows. Some streaming services, particularly those run by networks, tend to carry only the five most recent episodes of shows. Usually, networks like to keep interest going for the latest episode of a show, because that’s usually where advertisers make the most money. Netflix, on the other hand, releases all episodes at once. If before, you wanted to catch a rerun of a show, you’d have to wait around for it. With Netflix, it’s all there.

Of course, Netflix sometimes goes the traditional model of trickling in episodes like conventional TV but more often, it relies on binge-watching.

Watch five episodes get a free sticker, kid

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It did not go down well with parents

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