Hello, my name is Jessica Chen and I am a Netflix binge watcher.
· Binge Watcher: Jessica Chen
· Binge Watcher since: 1st Year University
· Binge Watched Shows: How I Met Your Mother, New Girl, Family Guy, Once Upon a Time, the Walking Dead, the Mindy Project, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Community, Death Note, Attack on Titan, Archer and so many more.
· Binge Watched Movies: Many.
· Popular times of binge watching activities: Midterm season, finals season, and Reading Breaks.
· Reasoning for Binge Watching: “I’m too stressed, so I should avoid it and relax by watching Netflix.”
Why is binge watching so tempting? What kind of power does Netflix have over us? How can we stay away from the path of binge watching and just stick to regular Netflix activities?
Here are some of the ways Netflix tempts us and lure us to its traps, straying us away from normal Netflix-ing:
Netflix cares about you.
It is like the virtual girlfriend/boyfriend you’ve never had. It has a constant need for attention and it makes you happy. It also brings the best and the worst out of you depending on the “relationship”. Like when Netflix refuses to load properly, you might become outraged and say things to Netflix that you don’t mean. But in the end Netflix will be there for you no matter what.
Netflix takes the time to get to know, your likes and dislikes.
It tracks the things that you have seen and based on those, it suggest movies or shows of similar tastes on the home page.
Netflix loves it all.
It provides a wide variety of genres for movies, shows, documentaries, etc. And it always emails you when new shows/movies are added.
Netflix helps you practice decision making under pressure.
In the short time span of 15 seconds, Netflix gives you the opportunity to practice making decisions under pressure: whether you should to stay for more episodes or stop and be productive.
Netflix is easy for everyone to use.
The ease of accessibility allows us to watch Netflix wherever, whenever, and with whoever. It is efficient and fun on demand.
Outside forces also trigger Netflix binge watching. The most powerful forces are those close to you. When a friend says, “Hey! Have you seen this show? It’s so good” my response is always: “Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. Can’t. Self-Control. Damn it. Okay, just the pilot…” and thus begins the rampage.
Lesson: New shows are a trap. During exam seasons or times where you need to be productive and concentrate, starting new shows is a terrible idea. Once you get hooked, there is no stopping. It’s like missing a step on the stairs – once you start tripping you’ll tumble until you hit the ground.
The reassuring mantra of “I deserve one more episode.”
It’s deadly. One or two episodes are really all it takes to get you started on a binge-watching spree.
The most important thing is self-control. Netflix is a great pass time, and socializing tool. However, it is important to prioritize your family, friends, and future career before Netflix because those are the ones and what will be by your side on the day the internet crashes.
Remember to put down the tablet/phone/laptop/whatever device you use to watch Netflix and go outside and be productive. Whether it’s for a nature walk, human interaction or, most importantly, managing study time and showing education who’s the boss.