Streaming video technology has been nothing short of revolutionary. No longer do we have to watch a TV show at the exact time and date that a channel chooses to air it, nor do we have to worry about programming a DVR so we can watch it later. (Or, if you’re old enough to remember the Stone Age of the ‘80s and ‘90s, programming a VCR to tape it.) No, streaming allows us to watch whatever we want, whenever we want, and in whatever quantity we want. (You can watch 12 episodes of Castle in a row, and nobody will judge you.)
It’s also changing the way kids watch TV. Like their parents, kids don’t have to just watch whatever drivel is on the tube. They also aren’t subjected to thousands of commercials for toys, cereal, and fast food because Netflix doesn’t have commercials. But perhaps the most revolutionary thing that Netflix has ever done: It can help parents stuck at home on New Year’s Eve with the kids get the kids off to bed early so that they can have a little parents-only party. How is this possible? Netflix is helping us lie to our children to get them to go to sleep early.