Hello my name is Shannon Whelan, I’m a Netflix addict, and I have been Netflix sober for one week.
TRUE LIFE: I’m addicted to Netflix
1) Before the existence of Netflix, I would have to wait for what seemed like forever for the next episode of whatever new TV show I was watching to come out. Every week was a new episode and I couldn’t wait. And before TiVo and DVR, it was almost impossible to rewatch that same, new episode if I missed it. So you better believe I was five minutes early to watch the premiere of the new episode. Every. Time.
Looking back at this, TV seemed so complicated. That was until several years ago Netflix came and saved everyone’s lives.
Okay, so maybe not everyone’s but it definitely changed my life.
It might not have totally been for the better, but it definitely gave me the opportunity to binge watch several televisions shows, with all of their episodes and seasons in a matter of a few days, depending on how bad your addiction is and…well… mine is pretty bad.
2) This past semester I was in Ireland and school was done a little differently there then it is at Saint Mary’s. There were days when I would watch four or five episodes of a TV show before 2 PM. Sitting in my room, only getting up to go to the bathroom or get something to eat. I was hooked. And to be honest, some of the TV shows I watched and were obsessing over are embarrassing and I cannot even believe I watched them. After I had watched every season and episode of Gossip Girl I decided I needed to branch out a little.
Oh, and I branched out. It got to a point this past semester with my addiction that I would be furious knowing there was another season out there for my shows and they were not on Netflix yet! So, I would watch them anyway I could. I needed more episodes. I needed to know what was going to happen! It was sick.
My addiction even got so bad that I would stay up until 3 AM watching TV shows, and then when I would wake up in the morning, watch another episode while I was getting ready for class! Who does that? I seriously, cannot be the only one who has ever done any of this.
3) On my last two nights in Ireland I binged watched all 13 episodes of Orange is the New Black, and let me tell you, it was worth it. I had a count down in my phone to when these episodes would appear on Netflix, and when they finally did, I could not wait to start watching them. You could say that I am a fan of the Orange is the New Black series, seeing the first season at least four times already. I just can’t get enough of this show! OTNB is not the only TV shows that I binged watched in a short amount of time.
4) The Vampire Diaries has four seasons of about 22 episodes a piece on Netflix at this time. That is around 88 episodes; each episode runs for about 40 minutes that is 3,520 minutes of Vampire Diaries. In less than 3 weeks, I watched every episode, every season, every minute of this TV show. I became so obsessed with this show that I would talk about it constantly, asking my friends whether or not they were Team Stefan or Team Damon, and then discuss why they thought that. I’m Team Damon by the way.
5) I know that I’m not the only one who has been completely addicted to Netflix since obtaining their own account, or begging a friend for their password. I also know, that I’m not crazy and that binge watching TV shows on Netflix is not exactly how I plan on spending my summer. Time for me to think of some new hobbies, maybe join a few clubs, heck I’ve got a great summer internship. For now, NO MORE NETFLIX.
6) Happy Netflixing!