Pretty much none of this is going to come as much of a surprise to readers of this blog, because everyone knows by now how addicted many users are to Netflix — to compulsively bingeing their favorite shows and constantly staying on the lookout for what new movies and TV series are coming soon to the platform, as well as what’s going to depart from it. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, though, it’s interesting to take a moment and drill down into the Netflix habits of people in romantic relationships, because — ok, in this case, yes you might just be surprised at how addicted people are to the video streaming giant.
For starters, according to a new survey and analysis from HighSpeedInternet.com, a full 30 percent of respondents said they’d give up nookie with their significant other to be able to keep streaming their favorite content on Netflix. In terms of the less-shocking findings of the analysis, which included asking “hundreds of Americans about their Netflix habits,” perhaps you’ll find these strike a little closer to home. And by that I mean, I may or may not have done at least one of these myself:
Around one in 10 respondents said they’ve dated someone just to use their Netflix subscription (Ok, that one’s definitely not me). A full third said they’ve used an ex’s password to keep watching Netflix after they’ve broken up, and more than half of respondents say they’ve “Netflix-cheated” on their partner.” Meaning, they’ve secretly raced ahead on a show or movie they were supposed to watch together.
If this all sounds a little fun and frivolous, well, the analysis also turned up this interesting stat: Two-thirds of respondents said it’s actually important to them to have a partner who has the same or similar Netflix tastes as they do. “Our faith in humanity was (mostly) restored because only 7% of our survey participants said they’ve ended a relationship based on what their partner watched on Netflix. We’re wondering if they caught them watching Back with the Ex.
“Although they didn’t break up over it, that’s not to say many couples don’t argue about Netflix. One in three Americans verbally sparred over what to watch, and married couples were more likely to argue than those who were just dating.”
In all seriousness, all of this goes to show how deeply Netflix has embedded itself into our culture and our daily or near-daily habits. These trends will also no doubt persist, given that Netflix is spending billions on new content to keep users hooked on the service, as a growing number of streaming content rivals start entering the picture this year. Maybe some of the stats we’ve mentioned here sound familiar to some of you in relationships and who are also Netflix-bingers. But whether they do or not, happy (early) Valentine’s Day!
