We've all been there: you boot up Netflix without a specific idea of what to watch, only to aimlessly scroll for so long that you just give up before finding anything. The streamer hears you, and might have a solution.
On Wednesday, Netflix rolled out a feature called "Play Something," which allows users to let the streamer decide what to put on for them. After hitting the "Play Something" button, a movie or an episode of a show will immediately start playing, though if you're not happy with the selection, you can simply hit "Play Something Else" to get another option pulled up.
"Sometimes the best choice is not to choose," an ad for the feature says.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Vulture delved into the creation of the feature, which Netflix previously tested with some users and internally referred to as "Instant Joy." Todd Yellin, Netflix's vice-president of product, explained that the company hopes to eliminate "decision-making angst." When Vulture pointed out that the experience is similar to surfing through channels on TV, Netflix executive Cameron Johnson said that's very much intentional.
Unlike with TV, though, Netflix uses its algorithm to determine what users might want to see, so the selections aren't random. In fact, Netflix displays on screen a short explanation for why a title was picked, such as because it's similar to another show the user has watched.
"It's trying to take what is one of the best things about linear TV, which is immediate entertainment, but make it even better, because it's personalized," Johnson told Vulture.
One other difference between this feature and channel surfing, Vulture notes, is that Netflix's "Play Something" will always start the movie or show from the beginning — meaning the time-honored tradition of randomly catching the last half-hour of The Shawshank Redemption on TNT may, sadly, soon be a thing of the past. Brendan Morrow
-
Britain's giant rat problemRising infestation reports and increased sightings of oversized rats have caused concerns about waste management in some areas
-
The Week Unwrapped: Has Donald Trump secured his Nobel Peace Prize?Podcast Plus, what does the use of North Korean and Indian labour tell us about the Russian war economy? And why have we all gone crazy for pickles?
-
Hurricanes are not exclusive to Earth. They can happen in space.Under the radar These storms may cause navigational problems
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster showSpeed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top GrammysSpeed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
