For the current state of things, it seems a bit risky or even impossible to hang out with friends. Removed from campus like many of us are, our friends even live states away and the rest of the spring semester will be spent miles apart. Not only those distant ones but due to the Coronavirus outbreak many who are within proximity must still practice safe social distancing.
Within the first week, many people are already bored and squirming out of their skin with the looming threat of cabin fever. Many industries have seen this as a chance to implement new technology or have taken time to upgrade so that users all over the world can have the least amount of stress in their lives.
Netflix is just one of those companies! Netflix has developed a chrome extension called Netflix Party, where the idea is that friends and family can stream movies together. Remote streaming is one of the perfect solutions to this issue in light of the birthday parties, get-togethers and hangout that people may have had planned together!
Netflix Party allows for multiple users to share a remote video to be played in sync with one another and opens up a video chat for friends to talk or send messages to one another from their laptop or computer.
The official Netflix Party website lays it all out quite clear in how it both works and how to work it!
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Go to the website above and click the button at the top of the screen labeled “Install Netflix Party.” Get into the Chrome Web Store and click “Add to Chrome” to then install the extension.
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It should automatically connect to your Netflix account if you are signed in. Play the video your friends and you have chosen.
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Create your party! You should see a red “NP” located near your address bar, click it and select “Start Party.” You will receive a URL that you can share with your party of friends.
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If you are the friend receiving a URL, click it and you will be redirected to the Netflix website. Click on the same “NP” and you should automatically join the party.
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Sit, open the chat bar and enjoy the next binging session with your buddies.
There are also customization options for Netflix Party! You can create your icon and upload images to put in it, give yourself a name and send messages to one another.
Of course, it won’t be the same as sitting with your friends in real life, but it’s a step in the right direction for protecting each other and the people you could come into contact from COVID-19. Right now, all of us should have our top priorities in making sure to slow the spread of this virus.
Please be safe and remember that it is increasingly important to practice social distancing as much as you can. If you must go out, be safe and take precautions that you need to not only for yourself but the others you can meet.
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