The rise of streaming services such as Netflix challenge existing communication and media theory by providing global audiences with popular culture programming that would otherwise be restricted to national audiences. Not only can the platform reach audiences in almost every corner of the world, but cultural products in non-American countries, such as China, Japan, South Korea, and India, can make use of the global platform to expand their influences in global cultural market.
Sourced from the VOX
In the Global Media Streaming market, Netflix is the forefront contributor to sales globally. It is the single largest subscription based-streaming service in the world, amassing 195 million subscribers with a $17 billion annual content spend, (Curry 2023). Latecomers Disney+ and Apple TV + aren’t too far behind either, accumulating 70 million and 25 million paid subscribers respectively, (Stoll 2022). However, due to the mass globalization of each of these streaming platforms, some existing media and communication theories are being contested. The theories of Cultural Imperialism, Modernization and The Global Village all become challenged in some format as cultural projects from different countries are on the rise thanks to the increased accessibility of the streaming space. Cultural products also have a heightened platform, with Korean Beauty and more specifically Korean skincare regimes taking Centre stage, as the Hallyu or Korean wave starts to eat into dominant Western control within the media space.
The rise of streaming services in today’s media consumption landscape has observed pre-existing media and communication theories to be challenged. Media products that would ordinarily be limited to national audiences within the country of production are now available globally in most cases, with companies such as Netflix and Disney+ leading the charge.
Large-scale Western projects, however, have been going global for quite some time now, with most Hollywood Blockbuster films being distributed to a mass of different countries. Marvel’s highest-grossing project to date; Endgame, for example, was distributed to a massive 80 other countries (IMBD 2019), excluding the United States, prior to its release onto streaming service, Disney+, detailing the influence that Western projects already hold over the rest of the globe.
This is evident through the communication theory of Modernization, stating that “exposure to Western media content can help post-colonial countries transition from ‘traditional’ societies to ‘modern’ ones” and helps them “move toward a more modern, capitalistic and democratic life”, (Mishra 2019). Modernization observes Westernized culture as the pinnacle of living and holds the belief system that developing countries should strive to emulate them, and their culture. Modernization theorists affirm that “undeveloped countries are undeveloped because they have the wrong cultural and social systems, and the wrong values and practices that prevent development from taking place”, (Thompson 2017), ultimately condemning countries that do not subscribe to capitalist social structures, as they view capitalism as the peak of social and political procedures.
The communication theory of Cultural Imperialism embodies a similar contention to Modernization, arguing that “the imbalance and dominance of Western cultural products through Western Media result in the destruction of domestic cultures and ways of life”, (Mishra 2019).
Both theories promote Western culture as the singular ideal lifestyle, however, through the maneuver away from traditional media distribution into the world of streaming, cultural film and television products are becoming more readily available across the world.
With popular culture programming originating from countries like Japan and Korea, their respective cultures are also in the limelight, proving to be controversial to the “Western World” that the theories of Modernization and Cultural Imperialism rely on. The South Korean Mini-series Squid Game is a superlative example of the popularity of Korean culture across the globe, ranking as the highest-grossing and most-watched non-English series in Netflix’s history, (Bhattacharya 2023). In a Vulture exclusive, the Global head for Netflix, Bela Bajaria said that her colleagues at Netflix Korea had always expected success from Squid Game, stating “We always knew it was going to be a signature title for Korea… But we could not imagine it would be this big globally”, (Adalian 2021). This new-found streaming age places non-English shows and movies on a pedestal of popularity, as before, to view Foreign-language media projects, residency in a largely populated city or even a plane ticket was required. Bajaria endorses Netflix’s decision to make international content easily accessible, as it “takes away the barrier of entry… and opens up different storytelling for more people”, (Adalian 2021).
As reported by Tudum, Netflix’s official companion site, out of Netflix’s 233 million subscribers, “Over 60% of members around the world are watching South Korean content”, (Tudum Staff 2023). Per this popularity for Korean media, just last month Co-CEO of Netflix, Ted Sarandos spoke with South Korea’s President Seok-Yeol Yoon, announcing plans to invest “$2.5 billion into Korean content over the next four years… about twice the amount of investment Netflix has announced since 2016 when it entered Korea”, (Sarandos 2023).
Western projects are still undoubtedly very popular in today’s multi-media landscape, however, with cultural media products now available to anyone, the world of not only streaming, but media itself has opened up.
This fresh global interest in the research and appreciation of cultures different from our own sparks support for a different communication theory, that being the Global Village theory, coined by Canadian Philosopher Marshall McLuhan. The Global Village expresses the notion that “people throughout the world are interconnected through the use of new media technologies”, (the University of Illinois Library 2009). McLuhan himself claims that “the new electronic interdependence recreates the world in the image of a global village”, (McLuhan 1962), signaling the digital unity that Web 2.0 and streaming services combined can evoke. Not only do new releases and anticipated flicks dropping on streaming services connect people in terms of a fan base, but namely Netflix’s ability to connect different countries and cultures around the globe demonstrates the readiness, the effectiveness, and the widened scope of the Global village’s reach inside a media context.
The Global Village, however, is not the only method of audience connection through media products. Traditional media avenues such as broadcast television or print have survived throughout the digital uprise due to the link between people's trust and engagement with a media source and the source’s focus on their local community. A study completed by the Canberra News and Media Research Centre found that “people who primarily get their news from print (newspaper or magazine) are more likely to say they feel attached to their local community (73%), than those who rely on other news sources”, (Park S et al, 2021). However traditional media sources subscribe to a notion of telling rather than collaborating, which can be somewhat controlling to the more progressive and involved audiences of today.
Netflix’s recommendation algorithm is an example of a large-scale media corporation's attempts to make the wants and needs of its consumers a more crucial inclusion. The company’s recommendation engine was found to contribute to “80% of [all] stream time”, (Chong 2020), proving evident to the indecisiveness of modernized human nature. The Sydney Morning Herald seconds the streaming platforms service, endorsing “its ability to siphon more than 7000 movies, documentaries and series available on the Australian service through a funnel that seems specifically tailored for each and every one of us, to make viewing suggestions that are in the ballpark of what we might actually want to watch at that moment”, (Quinn 2022). By recommending which shows or movies to watch, Netflix is suggesting what the algorithm predicts you may like to watch, rather than broadcasting to its audience instructions of what to watch and when.
As a method of media distribution, Streaming continues to differentiate from traditional media methods due to a combination of factors, namely the involvement of its audience. The University of California, San Diego agrees, stating that “it’s all about engagement”, (UC San Diego 2023). Rather than companies increased institutional control inside the past traditional media landscape, the rise of Web 2.0 and social media has seen consumers gain back more agency than ever, becoming larger parts of the media process. UC San Diego affirms that “this is a medium in which traditional approaches to ‘telling’ people won’t work or be accepted” as social media and streaming services for that matter, enable us as humans to “connect and converse”, (UC San Diego 2023).
Streaming not only connects people to each other and different countries' cultures but also aids non-western countries' success within the global cultural market. The virality of the South Korean media space as of late has resulted in an explosion of cultural exploration. The fascination behind South Korean culture is apparent through the success of not only Squid Games, but the webtoon-based series All of Us Are Dead, allotting to a whopping 560.7 million hours streamed on Netflix, (Screen Crush Staff 2022). Aside from the success of the media projects themselves, one of the factors that contribute to the rise of Hallyu, which translates directly to Korean Wave, (Roll 2021), is the aesthetics. K-Beauty is a definitive trend leader in the Korean Wave, with Korean skincare enticing women globally, in hopes to recreate the “translucent and porcelain-like glass skin”, (Kbeauty World 2020), that Korean actresses possess on our screens. The 10-step Korean skincare routine took the world by storm back in 2011, providing the Western woman with options that were more affordable than high-end skincare products but with a certain je ne sais quoi, that drugstore products were unable to deliver. E-commerce trend analyst company Slice Intelligence estimates that since 2015 “Korean beauty sales have grown up to 300 per cent”, (Abad-Santos 2019), and it shows no signs of stopping. Flash-forward eight years into the future, today in 2023, no-makeup makeup looks are the new it-girl trend. Celebrity makeup artist Mary Phillips sees people using “more tinted serums, tinted moisturizers and tinted SPFs instead of heavy matte foundations”, (Stables 2022), with a heavier focus on skincare, an element that originated inside the Korean culture wave. Another celebrity makeup artist and Chanel brand ambassador Tasha Reiko Brown likens the trends to today's improved self-love and acceptance, stating that “faces are meant to be seen”, insinuating that the days of hiding behind full-coverage makeup looks are a thing of the past. Therefore, post-Kbeauty craze, the skincare market has opened dramatically, with more people prioritizing the health and care of their skin than ever before. A journalist for Vox contends that “the most visible effect of Korean skin care’s success is how Western brands have begun copying Korean brands”, (Abad-Santos 2019), referring to Sephora giants and TikTok cult favorites Tatcha and Glow recipe, depicting just how widespread the Korean waves influence is, dominating the beauty market for over a decade.
The world of streaming has thrown traditional media consumption stereotypes out the window and promoted a much more globally inclusive platform for audiences around the world. Although the theories of Cultural Imperialism and Modernization make less sense in this new way of watching, McLuhan's global village partners with streaming’s ability to connect audiences and prioritizes social connection through Web 2.0. The global cultural product market has also benefited, with K-beauty and skincare growing substantially, and showing no sign of stopping. Ultimately, streaming has given companies the ability to level the playing field, from what was a once Western-dominant landscape to a globally inclusive space.
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