Ever wonder why we get stuck in the inevitable addiction that is Netflix? Here are five stages that follow a Netflix obsession.
1. Denial
After you finish that pilot, it's as if you were overcome by this intense need to complete the rest of the show. As if Netflix was challenging you to a dare, and the only way to win would be to finish the show as fast as possible. Of course after you finish 5 seasons in a day, your friends might express their concerns, but you shrug off the comments and tell them it's a one time thing, purely for the sport of finishing this one show. Then, of course, you end up finishing three shows in less than a month.
2. Anger
Once you decide to lift your unwashed head from staring at your phone screen, you might notice the pile of unfinished school work on your desk, or the amount of laundry piling on the floor. Your harmless binge has finally affected your life, and you might express some anger. Why didn't you just put down the phone for the night and finish that paper? Why did you mute your favorite group chats to finish season six when you could have been included in all the drama that's happened!
3. Bargaining
After the frustration you may feel because of your addiction, you will attempt to bargain your way out. You will set limits and rewards, only allowing yourself one hour of Netflix a day, with at least two hours of studying. Of course this bargaining will last a day and then you will return to your average 10 hours of Netflix.
4. Depression
The worst part of a Netflix addiction would have to be finally completing a show. You feel empty and alone in one big whammy of disappointment. Unfinished plot lines are the only thing to accompany you in the long process of post-show depression. It almost feels as if the entirety of your Netflix addiction was not worthy of this emptiness you feel now.
5. Acceptance
While the depression stage lasts all about 5 minutes, you may feel the itch to continue your quest to watch all the TV show series on Netflix. You will soon accept your addiction and click on the next pilot. The sad news, however, is that this is a continuous cycle, tread with caution.
Of course, there are many small steps in between, but overall, I hope you enjoyed the 5 basic steps we all must go through when we enter the dangerous world of Netflix.
