New Netflix Co-CEO Should Prioritize Children/Teens Above Profit

LOS ANGELES (January 24, 2023) – The Parents Television and Media Council (PTC) says that new Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters should lead the company away from giving a platform to content that sexually-exploits children, that exposes them to explicit language, and that glamorizes violence like suicide.

“As Greg Peters takes on his new leadership position, we hope he will consider the harmful impact Netflix programming can have on children and teens and make changes,” said PTC Vice President Melissa Henson.

“Our research revealed that Stranger Things allows the ‘f-word’ and ‘s-word’ to air uncensored numerous times – a line rarely crossed in programs rated for 13- and 14-year-olds. Stranger Things should be rated TV-MA. Mr. Peters should change that immediately.

“Netflix cartoon Big Mouth depicts middle school children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, with full frontal nudity and suggesting graphic sexual relations with adults.

“Netflix continues to host Cuties, a film that features 11-year-old girls in sexually provocative performances; in one scene the main character snaps a picture of her genitals and posts the photo on social media.

“Netflix’s teen-targeted suicide drama, 13 Reasons Why, was associated with a 28.9% increase in suicide rates among U.S. youth ages 10-17 in the month (April 2017) following the show’s release, after accounting for ongoing trends in suicide rates. After a groundswell of public condemnation, Netflix eventually removed the graphic suicide scene from the program, but the series is still available to watch.

“We know that entertainment impacts its audience, otherwise, why would the industry even exist? Netflix needs to ensure that the impact on its young audiences does not cause them harm. Mr. Peters must use his new position at Netflix to thoroughly evaluate its programming, including removing many of these shows from the platform. He should prioritize children and teens before profit.”