Back when Netflix was just DVDs that came by mail, it had become a source of tension in our household. That was because we never seemed to have the time to watch the movies that we had in our "queue", and they would arrive and sit there. Worse yet, sometimes they would dissapear, and we'd end up paying to rent videos we couldn't even find. So we cancelled Netflix to save ourselves the financial embarrassment.
Netflix's streaming service has changed the whole dynamic of watching movies. Now, for the flat monthly rate, it's possible to summon up a movie to watch on our television through our Nintendo Wii or another game console, with an Internet-connected Blu-Ray players and HD televisions, through digital video recorders like Tivo and Roku, and on a laptop or desktop computer. And since the iPad was introduced by Apple earlier this year, Netflix has been available for it as well, making the movie-watching experience even more portable and personal.
Now, Netflix has taken that portability to its logical conclusion, with the introduction of a Netflix app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. And the service, which previously only worked over a WiFi network, works on iPhones over a 3G cellular connection as well. That means that you can now watch movies anywhere AT&T's network will let you.
This could either be a good thing or a bad thing. While I'm sure that I'll be loading up a movie on my iPhone to keep my daughter entertained while waiting in line or on a road trip, the idea of never having a moment where one can't be entertained scares me just a little.
Adding the ability to be media-saturated at will to any experience is bound to have its downside. The New York Times' Matt Richtel reports that having electronic entertainment everywhere can have harmful effects:
Scientists point to an unanticipated side effect: when people keep their brains busy with digital input, they are forfeiting downtime that could allow them to better learn and remember information, or come up with new ideas.
While the Netflix app will certainly bring many more hours of movie and television enjoyment while on road trips, it's going to make the impulse to reach for that digital device even stronger among teens. If you have problems with your teen texting at the dinner table, imagine dealing with them watching movies while eating meatloaf.