Netflix review: New netflix household system

Netflix,

My family and I have been loyal customers of your service for years & have enjoyed your entertainment greatly.

Recently, upon trying to relax after a stressful day, I went to my TV to turn on Netflix, only to realize that you implemented your new “households” system, which requires families to pay an extra $7.99 per month for additional members on their accounts. I heard rumors stirring that this decision might become a reality, but seeing it finally implemented is deeply upsetting to me, and I’m sure many other customers.

What you may not realize about this new change, is that it disproportionately affects families with college students, disabled adult kids, and low incomes. You claim to promote a message of inclusion, diversity, equality, etc. while simultaneously creating a policy that detrimentally affects the very populations you say you support.

I personally am a disabled 20-year-old, on SSI disability, unable to work. I live in a different city & household than my parents, and my independence has been and continues to be very challenging. But my independence is very important to me, and therefore, I’m fighting every day to make it possible. My illnesses & conditions have already caused a great burden on my parents, and decisions like the one you’ve made with your “households” system only make the financial burden more immense.

This decision has also caused college students (a population I am surrounded by as a young adult) to further struggle with finding a balance between financing rapidly increasing tuitions & their education, while also finding entertainment they can afford that allows them to destress after a long day of lectures, labs, homework, jobs and more.

And then of course, when a family has a student or disabled adult kid that can’t fit your costs in their budget, these increased bills then come back to their families, many of which are already barely able to make ends meet with all the massive price increases of groceries and other necessities. So they are faced with the choice of canceling a service that gives them a much-needed smile at the end of a long day or further tightening the budget they use to provide for their family, so they can accommodate the extra expense of entertainment due to a billion-dollar company’s profit greed.

So I ask you, with respect and frustration, is it worth it? Is the extra money you may make from this worth ruining your reputation as a company trying to promote the exact opposite message of the narrative this policy has created? Do you realize what harm your decision has caused? Was a person “Netflix sharing” that paid for an upgraded plan with extra screens to make this possible not enough profit for you, and therefore you decided to punish consumers of yours that are just trying to give their family the opportunity to enjoy your entertainment? When it comes to profit, I honestly believe these changes of yours will backfire; I strongly infer that the unaffordability and negative messages you’ve sent tied to this change will cause a lot of families to cancel your services and turn to cheaper alternatives, like Disney +, causing you to lose, not gain, the profits you hoped for.

I sincerely hope that you will read this letter, and at the least, consider rethinking this change. I appreciate your time & consideration. Thank you for providing us with fun entertainment all these years.