TECH NEWS: Netflix introduces a Double Thumbs-Up button

Time to come clean – every single one of us has spent too much time browsing through Netflix’s catalog to find something interesting to watch next. But did you know that an average Netflix subscriber takes around 18 minutes a day to choose what to watch next? Might sound like a stretch but just think about it, you open your Netflix account and soon you find yourself halfway through what seems like an endless scrolling session and nothing seems to be good enough to hit play. Yes, it is hard and yes, you’re not alone in this one. Nowadays, we are both blessed and cursed with open access to a variety of entertainment options on the world wide web, surrounded by platforms, apps, gadgets, and whatnot, messing up our attention span slowly but surely. And the endless scroll is just one of many examples of how in order to choose something where we won’t feel like we’ve wasted time after watching it, we waste time trying to find it and second-guessing almost every single option out there.

The devil works hard, but the Netflix recommendations algorithm works harder.

About 80% of the Netflix subscribers rely on the platform’s algorithm to choose tv-series and movies for them. After ditching the 5-star rating system back in 2017, Netflix introduced the well-known thumbs-up/thumbs-down rating in order to be better at showing you relatable shows and movies that you would watch and make your experience on the platform more enjoyable. You either liked it or didn’t – it is as easy as that. Or is it?

The chances are that you may have liked a certain tv series a little bit more than some others that you also enjoyed but they are just not at the same level of likeness. Think about those die-hard Office fans out there for instance. They have seen other shows for sure but not many can come close to their absolute favorite.

So yes, there are nuances in the level of likeness, and when you really love something, it’s because it kept you on your toes and didn’t make you feel guilty for binge-watching it on a workweek. Even if it’s your second time around. You just can’t get enough of it and you want to tell the whole wild world about it. You find yourself wanting to tell your friends, family, coworkers, social media followers, and just anyone that may get a taste of the same hype you have about it. This is exactly why Netflix introduced a double thumbs-up button on its platform!

The double thumbs-up button means “I Love This!”. And the idea is for you to use this option only when you are head-over-heels in love with what you have watched. This new feature is an attempt to make your recommendations even more specific and tailored to your taste. If you “loved” a certain show on the platform you will see more titles starring the cast or directed by the same régisseur. We hope you’re excited about this new feature as much as we are so don’t be shy about it and use Netflix’s rating system to its fullest so that their algorithm can do a better job recommending content that you will actually like. The endless scrolling can be extremely fun but also an excruciating experience so why not save your nerves and some valuable time by allowing the platform to do a better job with its recommendations!