Netflix is king when it comes to streaming video, and although there will be a bunch of new competitors beyond Hulu and Amazon in the not-too-distant future, a new report suggests that millennials will spend a crazy amount of time watching Netflix in their lifetimes. Millennials, a.k.a. the demographic placed from ages 23-38, could spend well over a decade of their lives watching Netflix, which equals out to multiple hours per day. Let's break it down.
Millennials responding to a survey (via HowToWatch.com) reported they watch 6.6. hours of Netflix a day, which equals out to 46.2 hours per week. The data from the report calculates that millennials will therefore spend 13 years -- yes, years -- of their lives watching the streaming giant, which averages to more than 16% of their expected life span.
As somebody around smack dab in the middle of the millennial range, I must say that I'm a little concerned! Is this why I'm always on the lookout for strange things and the occasional serial killer?
In all seriousness, that is a huge amount of time reportedly spent streaming video by an age demographic spanning 15 years, and there are some variables that mean the numbers may not be quite so high for millennials as a whole. The report asserting the 13 years of Netflix viewing comes from a survey of 750 people people, with 295 of those 750 in the millennial range and Netflix viewers.
Of those 295 viewers, the average number of hours streaming video on Netflix was 6.6. Furthermore, the media millennial age from the report was 32, which is on the high end of the demographic. The life expectancies used in the calculation of the data were 48 more years, based on the U.S. Social Security Administration Actuarial Life Tables.
So basically, this was a relatively small sample size compared to the number of actual millennials who must subscribe to Netflix, and I at least can vouch for the fact that I don't watch 6.6 hours of Netflix per day. That said, the report does suggest some reasons for why the number could be so high for millennials.
"Watching" Netflix may mean something different for everybody, as those 6.6 hours per day don't necessarily mean millennials glued to their couches at full attention the whole time. While I have been known to binge-watch new seasons of big shows to avoid spoilers, I've also been known to throw on old episodes of The Great British Baking Show while doing other things.
The report also suggests that Netflix is a cheaper way to spend free time than going out to the movies or subscribing to cable. Cord-cutting has increased in popularity over the years. Netflix accounts can also be shared within households, meaning even more cost-savings.
There are worse ways for us to spend to spend time, right? While I definitely don't watch 6.6 hours per day, I will admit that it's almost an expectancy among people in the millennial demographic to have a Netflix subscription. Small talk nowadays can basically consist of, "So, you've watched Stranger Things, right?"
There are definitely plenty of options on Netflix these days, whether you plan on spending 13 years of your life watching or not. Be sure to weigh in on our poll below to share your Netflix viewing habits!
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