I knew it was really over with my ex when, months after our breakup, I attempted to log in to his Netflix account...and discovered that he had finally changed the password. I now use my current partner's login with abandon, meaning that his selection of Netflix recommended movies bends to my taste, and he always knows if I've stealth-watched the next episode of our show without him — that's love, right? Well, Netflix has apparently picked up on its growing role in many a romance, since it has just released results from a poll on how the streaming service is changing people's dating lives.
Yes, they essentially decided to look into "Netflix and Chill."
With the the help of market research company Ipsos, Netflix surveyed 1,008 American users of the service between the ages of 18 and 29. They found that TV and movie preferences are important long before a couple is official: 58% of those polled had included favorite shows or movies in their online dating profiles in an effort to find a compatible partner.
Meanwhile, 27% reported that they considered liking the same shows as a significant part of compatibility, with men more likely than women to report that "show compatibility" was an important factor in weighing relationship potential. Around 1 in 10 ( 13%) of respondents said they would ask someone out based on show compatibility alone.
And as a relationship progresses, daters don't take that password sharing question lightly. A little more than half of those surveyed feel that sharing an account is a "big step toward a 'serious' relationship," Netflix reports, and that they wait until they're dating someone exclusively to do so. In fact, 17% of respondents even advocate waiting for engagement or marriage before taking the leap — they are not messing around with their "Top Picks" lists.
The findings of the poll also suggest that once a relationship is official, streaming can strengthen it: 58% of those surveyed say they bond with their partner over Netflix. Check the infographic below for the full report on Netflix and chill.
This month, we're sharing steamy personal stories, exploring ways to have even better sex, and wading through the complicated dynamics that follow us into the bedroom. Here's to a very happy February. Check out more right here.