Students loyal to Netflix despite price hikes
On January 14, 2022, Netflix began offering three service plans at a newly modified price. The basic plan for $9.99 allows for one stream and one device for downloading, the standard plan for $16.49 allows for one stream and two devices for downloading, and the premium plan for $20.99 allows for four streams and four devices for downloading.
One of the top streaming services in Canada, Netflix is generating a mix of reviews from the public lately, but in the end, it seems students are prepared to continue paying for the service.
“I use Netflix and Disney+. However, I have been with Netflix for about two years and Disney+ just two months,” said Abby Cornetes, a business accounting student at Algonquin College.
Cornetes heard good things about Disney+ and wanted to try it out for herself. While her experience thus far has been good and she will maintain her subscription, for the time being, Cornetes concludes, “I am very happy with Netflix and I will continue to use it in spite of the [price] increase.”
Tianna Wickham, also a business accounting student, also uses multiple streaming services. “I mostly use Netflix but also Kodi and online television resources,” Wickham says.
Spending her free time watching older shows that she grew up with, like Drake and Josh, Wickham said she gravitates towards Netflix for this selection. “Netflix offers a lot of older shows and the shows that I grew up watching. Because I watch them, Netflix is where I stream and will continue to stream.”
Keith Isles, in the same program as Wickham and Cornetes, does not using Canadian Netflix, and said the price increase itself is not the issue.
“I changed my plan because it is in the Philippines, so I do not know if I can still pay for it while I am earning in Canadian dollars.”
However, happy with the service and wanting to maintain her subscription, Isles said, “if I do not face difficulties, I will maintain my subscription.”
Linh Nguyen, however, does not use streaming services at all and describes herself as not a fan of movies. “I do not use streaming services. I only began using them a month ago when I was invited to use Teleparty, an extension of Netflix for group viewing, formally known as Netflix Party, with my friends one evening.”
Enjoying her experience of simultaneous movie watching with her friends, Nguyen is reconsidering her involvement with Netflix. “After a few months, if my family and I like Netflix, we will all think about getting a subscription. So far I like it.”
Regardless of having competing streaming services, Netflix remains one of the most commonly used service. With many new releases on a weekly basis and a wide variety of shows to pick and choose from, the subscriptions and user satisfaction towards Netflix rests.
