Sharing is caring, right?

Jemima Thomas
Feb 2023  •  4 min read

Sharing is caring

Netflix recently announced they might just be changing up the game for us folks. If you haven’t already heard, Netflix recently revealed that they will soon be implementing a no sharing password policy. Essentially, by tracking information through IP addresses, device IDs and account activity, Netflix planned to work out which users were logging in from different locations and therefore step in if it believed the account was being used by a non-household member.

The news concerned many of us who perhaps split the monthly bill with other family members or friends who live in different households, students and those who could really do without an added cost during a ‘cost of living’ crisis. Lots of people (myself included) also enjoy streaming Netflix when they travel, which would also no longer be doable.

Unsurprisingly the news did not go down well for many Netflix subscribers and many took to social media to express their outrage and concerns. The backlash forced Netflix to make a statement that the new password policy wouldn’t be coming into play for everyone just yet, and that it is now going to be rolled out this year in Canada, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain.

On the one hand it makes total sense that Netflix may want to cap sharing passwords; they’ve definitely underestimated how many people would do this, and I’m sure although the loss is barely significant in the media world, it’s something they should’ve factored in during their initial launch. However, after seeing the social media hysteria it’s already clear that consumers aren’t afraid to share their opinions, and Netflix has a similar approach by quickly responding to their subscribers.

It’s clear there is real power for the consumer when it comes to making changes (even at large firms like Netflix), which is no different from how we operate (in some ways!) here at Solomon’s. Good or bad, we are always after feedback because we want to continue to ensure we are providing the right service for our clients. We’re very happy to make changes to improve what we do for our clients and how we do it.

So, if you have any feedback for us, please do get in touch, and if you have a Netflix account that perhaps friends or family members use in a different household, beware of change on the horizon.

Sharing is caring, right?2023-12-01T12:12:37+00:00

Black Mirror – Nosedive

Black Mirror – Nosedive

The new series of Black Mirror has been released (21 October 2016) on Netflix and is a bit of a cross between Tales of the Unexpected and The Twilight Zone…. Remember them? If you do, then there is a fair chance that you will have had more than your fair share of adopting new technology over the years and Black Mirror is a small leap of the imagination into a future that is almost within our reach.

Nosedive, the first episode of the new series from the writer Charlie Brooker provides plenty of food for thought for those of us that use social media. Irrespective of who you are, there is something very satisfying about having a post or tweet “liked” or “retweeted” – a sense that you are being heard. Of course for small and large business, your social media marketing strategy is all about trying to engage people, both prospective clients and existing ones. This blog is no different.

Brooker draws out attention to the insatiable underlying desire for approval that underpins this and reflects a future society (not very much in the future) where “service with a smile” and the constant demand for ratings and feedback result in desperate collective anxiety and need to fake it in order to gain approval. Not only approval, but the point-scoring system acts as the new form of societal sorting and classification of us all.

image of Lacie, the lead character practicing her smile, current score 4.243
image of Lacie, the lead character practicing her smile, current score 4.243
image of Lacie, the lead character practicing her smile, current score 4.243

Are you getting feedback?

I thoroughly enjoyed his take on this rather dystopian future, of a world addicted to handsets and a numbing or removing of real experiences and interactions. I’m sure that if you shop online, you now get a request for some feedback. As with many things this was intended to be for our good – a chance to engage and improve services, yet it has become so widespread it now simply feels needy, like some spoiled child constantly asking for approval.

Here at Solomons are guilty of this too. We ask for feedback and comments – and for you to share posts, tweets and so on. This is now all part of helping spread the word about the business and how we help clients, how we bring value. That said, it can become very irritating (hence we try to limit our “neediness”).

Rage against the machine

I guess this reflects the changing nature of relationships between us all and the organisations that we use. Seeing people rant online, whether about Donald Trump, Hilary Clinton, Southern Rail or Brexit is at least raw and exposing, of course great care needs to be taken, but in Nosedive, we are faced with a “sanitized” society where genuine emotion, thought or comment is parked firmly out of sight, to the point where who you are seen to be and with are more important than who you are.

At least here in 2016 we continue to help our clients verbalise and express their true values, not simply those that are deemed “acceptable”. Its funny how often I ask people when they plan to retire and they invariably say 65 – which used to be the default State pension age, as though this is an appropriate “date”. The truth is that you can “retire” whenever you want – or not at all and why here at Solomons we prefer to use the term financial freedom day – when you choose to work, not because you have to, but because you want to.

Here’s a bit about Nosedive.

Dominic Thomas
Solomons IFA

You can read more articles about Pensions, Wealth Management, Retirement, Investments, Financial Planning and Estate Planning on my blog which gets updated every week. If you would like to talk to me about your personal wealth planning and how we can make you stay wealthier for longer then please get in touch by calling 08000 736 273 or email info@solomonsifa.co.uk

Black Mirror – Nosedive2025-01-28T13:29:13+00:00
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