Recent breaking news has been weirdly contradictory. While we saw Bridgerton season 2 break records and become the most-streamed English language show on Netflix, the streaming giant has lost 200k viewers in the first quarter of 2022. While there are many theories as to why this is happening, most of them pertaining to the high price subscribers have to pay for Netflix, Elon Musk’s followers seem to be on an entirely different page altogether. According to them, Netflix is losing subscribers because the content on the platform is too “woke“. Here’s the tweet that sparked yet another debate on this topic:

What exactly is “the woke mind virus” and is Netflix actually a culprit of this?

The definition of “woke” on Google reads “alert to injustice in society, especially racism.” On Merriam Webster, it says “aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice).”

If we strictly follow these definitions, we know that Netflix can indeed be called “woke”. The platform is gaining a lot of attention for its inclusivity. Politically incorrect content is a rarity, which comes across as a pleasant surprise to many. A recent example is the Indian inclusivity in its recent hit Netflix Original, Bridgerton. Another one would be the upcoming teenage drama Heartstopper, that surrounds two young men who find solace in each other.

While a lot of fans love this, as is evident from the previous tweet, others aren’t fans of the same. A lot of the population on Twitter truly believes that content on Netflix is becoming “unwatchable” due to its being woke.

Will this prove to be an issue for the platform in the future?

While Musk hasn’t directly correlated the loss of viewership on Netflix with being woke, most of the discussion surrounding his tweet on social media platforms seems to be about the same thing. While some agreed with him, others were quick to point out how the platform was bound to struggle with increasing competition. Netflix certainly doesn’t monopolize the OTT industry as it did before.

As for the sudden surge in viewership, a user pointed out how it has nothing to do with Netflix creating and promoting woke content on the platform, but actually taking woke actions. This comes from the platform withdrawing its usage in Russia after the country’s aggressive assault on Ukraine. If that wasn’t the case, Netflix would have in fact gained over 500k subscribers.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think Netflix is forcing woke content that renders the platform “unwatchable” or is it just the discomfort of change after seeing no representation from marginalized groups for centuries?