I don’t think anyone understands the pleasure I get every time I throw myself on my bed, wrap myself into a bed sheet burrito and spend countless hours binge-watching shows and movies on Netflix. Granted, I know I should be either studying or doing something way more productive like, I don’t know—more studying. But really, what am I going to do? That’s right—watch more Netflix! I’m pretty sure by now everybody knows what Netflix is. It’s one of the biggest, if not the biggest of all, television and movie-streaming platforms around. You can view movies and television shows at the click of your mouse, via desktop version through the website. You can also view all of your favorite movies and shows using the apps that come with many different devices. It’s actually really convenient the way it’s set up because it’s almost like I can be unproductive anytime and anywhere, and it’s just a screen away! As great as Netflix is, I realize how much of a problem it can be. Well for one, let’s talk about money, I know it comes with a reasonable $10.99 plan a month for a simple plan, which is great and all but I’m still a broke, struggling college student. I really shouldn’t be spending any money outside of my Ramen Noodle budget every month, but here I am. Another downside to Netflix is the convenience factor. It’s TOO convenient. Anytime there are breaks between my classes, I always tend to plug my earphones in and find a comfortable place to sit and watch something on Netflix in the meantime. This takes away so much time that I could be doing something more productive. Another thing about Netflix that’s pretty bummer is that its selection tends to lack sometimes. It takes a while for them to get fairly new movies and shows on to their platforms. A lot of times as well, they tend to remove shows in order to bring more choices, which is completely understandable but very bittersweet. Yet another con I can think of for Netflix addiction is the lack of physical movement. I often find myself being a couch potato and just lazing around whenever I watch Netflix, which is not the most ideal way to spend a lot of your time. I’ve been trying to manage this Netflix problem I’ve been having. The first thing I can start off with, the financial one. There are ways you can get Netflix for free or at a discounted rate. For example, the cellphone brand T-mobile has phone plans in which you can get a Netflix subscription for free! I also manage to schedule Netflix viewings for myself. So, say I’m studying, I will have a show or movie streaming on Netflix on pause, and during breaks of studying I will resume and watch the video for a set duration of time before I continue watching again. It’s truly helped me gain some time management skills and a self-rewarding system. As far as the physical movement lacking when it comes to watching Netflix, I’ve decided that if I will spend time being physically inactive to watch Netflix, then it will be at night so that I can fall asleep rather than worry about doing anything for the rest of the day that’s strenuous and exerting. Those are all my solutions so far, as far as the Netflix problem concerning the material they stream, I’ll just take my ‘L’ and watch whatever is available or scour the ends of the internet for something better.
I realize that when talking about this Netflix problem of mine, it sounds like I’m blaming something that’s completely my fault, and it is. But I need to make myself feel better about my former lack of self-control when using Netflix. Other than Netflix, there are also other streaming platforms available to utilize such as Hulu, Prime Video, and much more. So I can definitely say there are more things to blame, to name a few. As great as all these video streaming platforms are, remember – don’t get stuck in the addiction! Moderation, and not binge watching every show you can, will definitely make the experience of using Netflix and others, a better one!