BY EVE PEYSER
In June, Netflix got a major redesign, which gave the website a more contemporary look and provided easier navigation. While we're still adjusting to new interface, Netflix could do even more to modernize its streaming service.
Here are six suggestions for features that should be on the list.
1) Shuffle
We all have our go-to shows on Netflix. It's like eating comfort food. Mine are 30 Rock and How I Met Your Mother, both shows will relatively long runs. Sometimes I just want to turn on 30 Rock, relax, and not have to go through the arduous process of deciding which episode to choose. This is where the shuffle feature would come in.
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2) The best of the best
Similar to the shuffle feature, it would be convenient if Netflix selected the best episodes of shows with more than two seasons; it could serve as a starter pack. Sometimes you have to ease into shows. Pilot episodes are often not so promising, especially when it comes to sitcoms. (Heck, I didn't even watch the whole first season of Parks and Recreation because everyone told me to skip it.) But if the viewer could start out with the best of the best of a series, then they could develop a deep affection that would sustain them through the more mediocre episodes.
3) The decider
Some evenings, when I'm feeling fragile and tired, I spend about an hour or so idly looking through my options on Netflix, silently scolding myself for indulging in the comfort of reruns and not trying out anything new. Usually those nights end with me falling asleep without watching anything. Netflix should have a "decider" feature, where you enter the preferred genre, length, etc. We'd all be saved so much grief.
4) Netflix Hangout
Sometimes you just wanna Netflix and chill remotely, so I propose the union of two beautiful things: the Google Hangout and Netflix Instant. It's fun watching things apart yet together, so you can be in your own bed, hands covered in Doritos dust, resting comfortably in a cloud of your own farts.
5) Public and private mode
It would be ideal if you could watch Netflix in public or private mode, much like you can with Spotify, so friends can see what you're watching and have access to your queue if you choose to make it public. I probably would not utilize this feature because my friends already know that I watch the same five episodes of HIMYM ad nauseam.
6) Better reviews
Netflix should follow Apple's lead and include the Rotten Tomatoes or Metacritic score of both TV shows and movies. Furthermore, it should make reviewing shows and movies more social, so instead of seeing what random users have to say, we can see what our friends think.
Full disclosure: I've written one review on Netflix. It was for Keeping Up With the Kardashians, and all it said was, "This is the most culturally significant show I've ever seen."
This article originally appeared on the Daily Dot.