People in this generation have defined the term “Netflix and Chill” as a way to invite another person over to hook-up for the night.
Most students said that the term usually means to hang out and start the night off by watching Netflix, but turning the hang-out into more than just cuddling.
Junior dance major, Kelly Page said most people invite you over to watch Netflix, but that it never happens.
As late as 2014, the phrase originally was used for individuals wanting to come home after a long day to relax and watch a movie for the rest of the night.
As the years progressed, teens figured out what the term could be used for and evolved the meaning behind it.
The term caught fire in 2015 when teens started Twitter accounts, memes and created an Urban Dictionary definition for the phrase, which is ,”It means that you are going to go over to your partners (sic) house and [have sex] with Netflix in the background.”
There are dozens of accounts on Twitter with a username of “Netflix and Chill” and even more accounts with “Netflix and Chill?” in the bio of the account.
Junior public relations major, Anthony Bombassaro said most people know what “Netflix and Chill” means when they are being asked.
“I feel like a lot of people expect it to be what it is described to be,” Bombassaro said. “Girls know what it means when they are being asked.”
Even though a great portion of this generation see “Netflix and Chill” as a way to hook up, some see it as a good first date.
Public health pre-PT major, Samuel Boyd said “Netflix and Chill” is the popular go-to when asking out a crush for the first time.
“It’s laid back and not a lot of pressure,”
Boyd said. “You can get to know the other person and have a cheap first date. Everyone likes Netflix.”
Almost every teen with a social media account knows what “Netflix and Chill” means, but some older adults have a hard time understanding what the term stands for.
Senior dance major Kacei Womack said since she’s a little older, she sees “Netflix and Chill” as a movie night with her friends.
“There is nothing sexual to me about watching Netflix,” Womack said. “When I first heard it I was like ‘what?’”
Students said that most people would never ask a person face to face if they wanted to ‘Netflix and Chill,’ but they would ask via Twitter, Instagram or text.
Maddison Mellor, senior elementary education and special education major, said it is easy to hide behind social media. She said instead of just asking a person out, people are cowards.
Tyler Patterson, junior safety management major agreed and said people are more open on social media than in person. He said social media has made things less personable and it is so common now for people to shrug stuff off.
Out of the students surveyed, about the term roughly 60 percent said they have never participated in ‘Netflix and Chill.’
This statistic is connected to how significantly social media has influenced the teens. A majority of the students interviewed said people nowadays hide behind their phones and will say anything behind a screen.
“Netflix and Chill” can be either used as a term for hooking-up or a casual first date; it is up to the person asking to decide which one it will be.
