Until a few years ago nobody was even aware of online platforms like Netflix, AmazonPrime, Holster, Voot, etc. Been stuck in this pandemic gave us more time to binge watch some series and movies we have been procrastinating since years. We have mastered the ability of loneliness and have taught ourselves to be emotionally independent. Luckily, platforms like YouTube and Netflix accompanied us throughout. But the question is which one is better? We often come across the rivalry and debate going on between the users of these two applications. Both are well organized to keep away from living a real world. One has algorithms as such that keeps us looped in similar content with recommendations while the other one is famous for binging. YouTube has been there since as long as we can remember. It is like god of all apps.
We can watch movies, listen to songs, watch cartoon, watch workout or dance tutorials, take meditation classes and even watch tarot card readings. Besides being a source of entertainment, YouTube can be educational as well. I know many people who developed a new hobby or course by watching YouTube all day long. A friend of mine watched tutorials and can now communicate in sign language like a professional. Another friend I know has now started painting by watching tutorials. One can create an effective video of lectures, demonstrations and art. YouTube is also a major part of E-Learning. It teaches us, it makes us laugh, it makes us cry, it makes us groove, it makes sing, basically, it helps us to feel alive. It was mainly made as a stage where anyone and everyone can create and share their videos with their viewers. It is not only beneficial for the viewers but for the content creators as well. YouTube and Netflix do not exactly go hand in hand. One platform is user generated content and the other one is a subscription service for scripted content.
Netflix was introduced to us in India in 2016 but it gained popularity in 2018 when the first Netflix Indian original series Sacred Games was released. Even after being a subscription based platform, Netflix has a wide range of users across the globe. To watch a beloved show, one has to buy a plan and create an account on the app. It consists of all types of genres, from comedy to horror and thrill, from documentaries to biographies, from fairytale romance to Bollywood blockbusters; everything is available on this mighty application. Netflix has had a huge impact not only on youth but on everyone. During this lockdown, which somehow extended for more than a year, along with many other platforms, Netflix gained a lot of subscribers. Lockdown and social distancing took away what every human deserves and craves, comfort and physical affection, the feeling to be loved by our closed.
This pandemic made us emotionally and physically stronger. It made us strong we never even thought we could be. During this time of loneliness, web series are the only ones which were there for us. Series like Peaky Blinders, Money Heist, Riverdale, Elite and Bridgeton were accepted whole heartedly and with great love. Even some old legendary movies like Andaz Apna Apna are available on Netflix. The reason so many people subscribe this app is the unlimited content within a limited amount of money is commendable. Many movies on YouTube are free of cost to watch but certain films are need to be bought online through net banking, where on Netflix one can watch multiple number of films, series, documentaries, stand-ups, can be watched by one single subscription. The app also had some negative impact on everyone. Many people, including the youth and the elderly group of people starting complaining about severe headache, watery eyes, swollen eyes, weak eye sight and many such related cases. Anything can cause us harm if we use it out of our capacity.
Web series and online content is meant to be enjoyed and not for misuse. But some people tend to drift in the wrong direction. I would never be able to decide between the two; both the platforms are equally entertaining and equally important. It is like a full course meal with pulses, steamed rice, a piece of grilled chicken thigh with two chapattis. If even one of the dishes is missing from the platter, the meal would be incomplete. Similarly, one cannot choose between Netflix and YouTube, or any other social media app per se; each and every applications in our devices holds its own importance. So, I would say, enjoy whichever steaming app you want, but within a particular time limit. Make sure that it doesn’t harm your eye sight or give you any sort of headache or similar problems. Entertainment and joy in life is also important, but one shouldn’t let it affect the other important aspects of life, like education, job, friends or even family.