Cancer entertainment education and Netflix – an exploratory study

Abstract

ABSTRACT The entertainment education (EE) approach shows that entertainment storylines influence people’s attitudes, opinions, and behavior, and this occurs, among others, when it comes to health and disease. In the case of TV shows and movies cancer is the most frequently shown disease, and this is especially important when considering the rise of VOD platforms, gaining in subscribers and popularity. The article aims at signaling Netflix’s EE potential, hence it could be a starting point for future studies of streaming platform’s EE, a highly neglected area. Netflix is thus 1) compared with other popular VODs in terms of the number of cancer content (this being the main interest of the presented analysis) and 2) three content categories are indicated. Also, 3) a brief description of selected texts is presented. The aim of the article is exploratory, and it highlights the need for future research, as the potential of Netflix’s EE seems the greatest when compared to other platforms analyzed. Netflix has the largest number of contents featuring cancer, and these could influence audiences, i.e., raise awareness, change attitudes, and motivate individuals to act.