To make it easier for children to access entertainment of their choice and to avoid embarrassment for parents who find it difficult to sort through and choose titles which they are not familiar with, streaming service Netflix has introduced a section titled ‘Just for Kids.’ This section has a compilation of all content for children.
The Just for Kids tab is placed between Watch Instantly and Instant Queue at the top of the Netflix homepage. This tab will help users find content for children aged 12 and under, including icons of favorite characters, such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora The Explorer, Phineas and Ferb and Big Bird. The scrolling cast of characters is a great help for children who may not find it easy to recognize the box art to identify the show or movie which they want to watch. Older favorites such as Rocko’s Modern Life and Hey Arnold are also well-represented along with classic animated films like The Land Before Time and the Secret of Nimh.
With queues titled “Talking Animals,” “Sing-Alongs,” and “Girl Power,” coughing up the extra $8 a month for the instant streaming service might just be the biggest child entertainment bargain ever.
Netflix has always had a sizable amount of programming for youngsters and the new section acts as a hub for all of it. The design is child-friendly and clicking on the large icons of various animated characters take you to their dedicated pages. Each individual episode has its own thumbnail, which makes browsing easy for both parents and kids.
Todd Yellin, VP of product innovation, Netflix said, “Kids discover and categorize movies and TV shows differently than adults. Just as we have revolutionized the way people find the movies and shows they want to watch when and how they want to, we’re making it easier for kids and parents alike to have the best possible Netflix experience.”
Netflix partnered with Common Sense Media to create this section. Common Sense Media is a non-profit organization which provides reviews, ratings and information on shows and films
With its low monthly pricing and the ability to stream videos to almost any screen with a high-speed Internet connection has made the service a popular choice among the younger set. Netflix, reported that about half of its 25 million subscribers have watched at least two movies or TV shows made for children in the last 90 days.
The move to introduce a children’s section comes on the heel of a recent controversy around its plans to unbundle its video streaming option from its DVD rental business. From September 1, Netflix subscribers who want DVDs and unlimited streaming will have to buy those plans separately. This change will result in a price hike of up to 60 percent and has angered thousand of customers.
The video-streaming service has also been working on a change that would eliminate household sharing of Internet video streaming and require each individual user to pay a separate monthly fee. However, the company claims that the introduction of the kids only section should not be viewed as a move in that direction.
At present, the Just for Kids section is available only on the Netflix website. Similar functionality will come to Netflix on the Wii, iPad, Xbox, Playstation and other devices over the next year, the company said.