Netflix is the most popular streaming service worldwide, with more than 200 million subscribers, although newer arrivals such as Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Hulu have started to challenge its monopoly.

Subscribers can stream an array of films and TV shows on their smartphone, tablet, laptop, smart TV or games console via the internet for a monthly fee of either £6.99, £10.99, or £15.99, depending on features and streaming quality.

You can create up to five profiles with one subscription, each controlled by a password-protected master account.

Streaming services have completely changed the way we consume TV, allowing us to watch anything, anywhere, any time we want. The content that appears in your feed will be curated by Netflix depending on your viewing and rating history, making it easier to find entertainment you’ll like.

As an early adopter of the internet streaming model, Netflix has amassed a large entertainment catalogue – from the blockbusters we all know and love to its own original productions.

Many of these Netflix Originals have turned into cultural phenomena in their own right, becoming the most-talked about shows within days (or hours) of their release. As these titles are exclusive to Netflix, people might be incentivised to get a subscription to avoid missing out.

There is plenty of content on offer for children of all ages. You can also make a dedicated 'Kids' profile for children to explore at their own pace. 

Inappropriate content

With such a vast range of content available, some parents might be concerned that their children could stumble across content they shouldn’t be watching. Fortunately, Netflix gives parents the opportunity to customise what content they want their children to have access to.

Each title on the UK version of Netflix has been rated by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) using its regular rating system – U, PG, 12, 15 and 18 – to determine what audience it is suitable for. You can customise which of these ratings you want each individual profile to have access to; perfect for if you have children of different ages. 

Alternatively, you can use the ‘Kids’ profile that comes with your account, where the rating limit is set to PG by default.

Profile lock

You can protect each individual profile with a four-digit PIN code so that only the intended person can access it. This can be a great help if you’re concerned about your child stumbling upon adult content or if you want to avoid family members overwriting each other’s progress on a TV show. 

All you need to do is to select the user you want to PIN-protect, click ‘Profile Lock’ from the menu and type in your preferred code.

Title restrictions

You can also prevent specific films and shows from appearing on a child's profile– even if they’re within the allowed age rating bracket.

You can use the 'Title Restriction' tool, available in the 'Accounts' section. This allows you to select specific titles that you don't feel are suitable for children and stop them from appearing in the feed. You can set different title restrictions on different profiles. This flexible option allows for all children using a Netflix account to have their own viewing experiences. 

Excessive viewing

It is very easy to spend hours watching Netflix, in large part due to its autoplay function. 

Finish each episode and the next one will automatically be queued up; after a brief countdown, it will kick into life without you needing to do anything. This can make it difficult to keep track of how long you’ve been in front of the screen.

You can, however, turn off this autoplay feature from the ‘Account’ section if you choose.

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This article was last updated on 29/09/22.

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