Understanding the effects Netflix has on the Maltese population’s behaviour, in regard to the consumption of content from streaming platforms

Abstract

This dissertation will investigate the impact and influence Netflix has on its users. The collection of qualitative data was a vital and integral part for this dissertation. Data was collected from 16 participants, who provided screenshots of their Netflix home screen for a duration of 10 days. The results obtained from this research are very interesting as they highlight the dependency on Netflix’s suggestions on the home screen by its users. These suggestions and recommendations have not only become an expected element to be found on Netflix, but it has become an integral part as to what makes it so effective and so widely accepted by a huge number of people around the world. The analysis of the data proved the thought that everyone was presented with a different home screen, everyone’s Netflix account was impacted by their interactions with it and the data that has been collected in regard to their viewing patterns. Some users had a rather consistent viewing pattern, this is based on the consistency of the recommendations whereas when others had very inconsistent recommendations and suggestions, this was due their rather sporadic viewing patterns. When analysing the data, it was also very interesting to see the suggestions and recommendations change from day to day, that being the ranking order of the top 6 rows, or a completely new row being suggested and replacing one that was there the day prior.