The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, continues to impact the world in many ways. The entire world is faced with new problems every day. With the quarantine that is in place right now, people are struggling to find something to do at home. A lot of people are facing boredom and continue to look for a solution. So how do you stop boredom? A possible solution is to binge watch Netflix.

As a way to cope with self-isolation, many people around the world have chosen to binge-watch Netflix. Downloads of the app in Hong Kong have doubled since Jan. 1 and have risen by 33 percent in South Korea. With the variety of shows that Netflix offers, it is receiving thousands of new subscribers every day.

Alejandro Ovando ’21 said, “‘Naruto’ is a show that is worth binge-watching. It has a great storyline that is very interesting as a viewer.”

According to research by Piper Sandler analyst Michael J. Olson, there is a first-quarter subscriber growth in the U.S. and Canada of 3.8 percent from a year ago. Additionally, his analysis indicates an international subscriber growth of 32.5 percent from a year ago.

Netflix has made the decision to reduce its European network traffic by 25 percent to keep the internet from breaking. They are lowering streaming quality for at least a month in hopes that it prevents the internet from collapsing during this time of the coronavirus pandemic.

Netflix CEO, Reed Hastings, spoke with EU Internal Market and Services Commissioner, Thierry Breton who tweeted, “To beat #COVID-19, we #StayAtHome. Teleworking and streaming help a lot but infrastructures might be in strain. To secure Internet access for all, let’s #SwitchToStandard definition when HD is not necessary.”

Netflix offers a wide variety of popular titles such as “Stranger Things,” which was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series in 2017 and 2018 and “Ozark,” nominated for the same award in 2019. “When They See Us” is another popular series that was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series. These are just a few of the many binge-worthy shows that Netflix has to offer.

Daniel Sandoval ’22 stated, “‘The Office’ is worth binge-watching. It’s funny, entertaining, and you’ll never get bored while watching it.”