The proliferation of media and the death of streaming

I have a confession: I really love movies.

I belong to the group of people who can quote every line Shrek (2001) or passionately explain why Interstellar (2014) is the greatest space movie of all time (yes, I’m going to die on that hill).

For me, films are more than just a form of entertainment. They are time machines that offer a glimpse into historical moments or are occasionally just a good excuse to avoid completing a task.

Lately, however, I’ve been thinking about something that’s hard to ignore, and that’s streaming. The technology that once freed us from browsing for DVDs in physical stores is now erasing part of our film history.

Streaming is killing movies. And I’m not just talking about the latest Marvel flop. We are losing timeless classics, culturally significant works and hard-to-find gems, all disappearing into the digital void.

According to a recent article in Forbes“The future of Hollywood changed forever in August 1997,” when two entrepreneurs came up with the idea for a subscription-based mail-order DVD rental business.

This business? Netflix.

Shipping DVDs to subscribers who wanted to avoid blockbusters was groundbreaking at the time. By 2009, Netflix was delivering 900 million DVDs annually to more than 10 million subscribers. But Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings had an even bigger idea: streaming.

In 2007, Netflix launched its subscription video on demand (SVOD) service. At the time, streaming movies directly to your TV seemed futuristic, but Hastings knew it was the next big thing.

Initially, the streaming catalog was limited to just 1,000 films, while on DVD there were 70,000. But with the spread of broadband technology, the streaming business boomed.

Today, Netflix has over 282 million subscribers worldwide, making it the most valuable media company in the world.

Sounds like a dream, right? Well, not quite.

Here’s the problem: While streaming platforms have made movies easier to access, they have also brought with them a major problem. Films are not treated like the cultural treasures they are. They are treated like disposable content.

One day you’ll watch again The sound of music (1965), and the next day it’s gone.

And don’t even get me started on indie films or documentaries – they often don’t even make it to streaming.

Streaming platforms only push what is trending. Once the hype dies down, the film is removed to make room for the next big thing. This is not only inconvenient, it is also dangerous.

Do you know the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words? Well, a movie is worth a million. Films have the ability to capture the essence of a specific time period, a feeling or even a movement.

Take Schindler’s List (1993) – it’s not just a movie, it’s a powerful lesson in American history. Or The Godfather (1972) – it is not just a film about gangsters, but describes the experiences of immigrants in America. Films like this don’t just entertain us. They educate and preserve stories that shape our collective identity. I hate to admit it, but it taught me more about the Holocaust The boy in the striped pajamas than in my history class. Directed by Mark Herman and based on John Boyne’s novel, the film tells the story of an unlikely friendship between Bruno, the young son of a Nazi commander, and Shmuel, a Jewish boy imprisoned in a concentration camp. Through the innocent eyes of these two boys, the film powerfully depicts the horrors of prejudice and war.

It is a reminder of how films preserve our history, victories and losses. But what happens when these stories are no longer accessible?

Imagine your favorite movie for a second. Now imagine a future where no one can watch it because a streaming platform has decided it isn’t “profitable” enough to keep. This is the reality we are heading towards.

As Forbes pointed out that the shift from physical media to streaming means we don’t actually own movies anymore. Back in the day, buying a DVD meant you had the movie forever. Now we just rent access, and when a film leaves the platform, it’s gone. It’s like your favorite book was thrown out by the library because it wasn’t “popular” enough.

Renowned director and filmmaker Martin Scorsese also expressed concerns on this issue.

“We cannot rely on the film business, such as it is, to take care of cinema,” he wrote Harper’s Magazine. Scorsese continued that in the streaming world, “everything is presented to the viewer at eye level, which sounds democratic but is not.”

And I completely agree – films are treated like disposable products and timeless classics lose meaning over time. This means that the audience also loses access to these cultural treasures.

But what is the solution?

First, let’s revive our love for physical media. If you own a DVD or Blu-ray, you’ll have it forever – no subscription required. Plus, there’s something deeply satisfying about compiling a collection of films that have shaped you.

Secondly, I think we need to hold streaming platforms accountable. If Netflix and Disney+ can spend billions on new content, they can also invest in preserving classics.

Streaming is convenient, but it erases something irreplaceable. Films are fragments of our collective soul and when we lose them, it feels like we are losing a part of ourselves.

So next time you’re watching Netflix or Disney+, think about what this film represents – the effort that went into making it and the story it tells.

Then ask yourself, “Can I watch this again in 10 years?”

If the answer is “no,” it’s time to take action. Because if we don’t, we not only lose films, but also the stories that define us.