Top 10 Pop culture moments of the decade #7: Streaming services

An entire decade has passed and, surprisingly, we are still here. From the world ending in 2012 to fidget spinners, this decade has been filled with iconic and weird memories. In this segment, our writer reflects back on this decade and decides which pop culture moments were the most memorable or the most influential. 

This one is bittersweet — heartbreaking that blockbuster is gone, but amazing that we can now access films and tv shows without leaving our homes. 

Our need for both entertainment and comfort took this decade by force, with Netflix leading the pack. 

Originally a DVD rental business, Netflix reinvented itself as an online media service in 2010. After Netflix’s initial success, other companies started producing their own streaming service, effectively killing cable and Blockbuster. Between November 6, 2013, and January 12, 2014, all Blockbusters, except one, in the United States shut down. The last ever Blockbuster is located in Bend, Oregon.

Fun fact: Blockbuster tried to buy Netflix in 2000 for $50 million, but Netflix declined the offer. 

However, Blockbuster holds a special place in my heart – remember those Friday nights browsing through DVDs with your friends, then buying loads of junk food from Safeway and finally, going home to watch the films you’ve all picked out?

On the other hand, I never need to leave my house now, so it’s definitely a win.

From Amazon Prime to Disney+, almost all major media corporations have jumped on the streaming service bandwagon. To be fair, streaming services are cheaper than cable and there are fewer commercials (for now), so, of course, people would prefer Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc. over network television. Also, with streaming services, you can choose to watch whatever you want, whenever you want, and it is less restricting than cable.

Although we should be wary that most of our media consumption comes from one place, streaming services have become a staple in our daily lives.

Streaming services own this decade — and all of our free time.