In modern society, there is no longer a set group of things that are considered "mainstream." Sure there is the iPhone, the piece of technology that everyone seems to have on their person 24/7, but there are dozens of editions and models to choose from, and, let's be honest, there isn't much difference between last year's model and this year's.
In movie theaters, we have movie after movie of what seems to be the same storyline, movies about Captain America and Iron Man, movies about Ryan Reynolds playing Green Lantern and then Deadpool, movies where Batman and Superman hate each other, but we know that it'll all work out in the end. "Which one should I see?"
Netflix is filled with indie movies, television shows, documentaries and musicals, movies that you couldn't watch in 20 lifetimes. So why so many options? Well, here is my take on it.
In this world, in this universe, we have billions of choices. Much like the stars in the sky, there are endless things and programs to watch and enjoy. We have to decide what we do with our choices. If it is a four-hour documentary on African elephants, that is your life you are wasting. We even choose who we want to spend our time with. We seem to find one person in life and we say, "I'll marry you." How do we know though? There are over seven billion people on this planet, and we seem to find one that we want to spend our eternity with.
The same can be said of what we choose to watch on television. There are sitcoms, news stories, movie channels, sports, cartoons, music videos, etc., and each of these genres have thousands upon thousands of choices within them. Sure you have sitcoms, but do I watch "The Office," "Seinfeld," "Parks and Rec" or "I Love Lucy?"
Choice is part of the human experience though. We choose, for the most part, our spouse, our place of dwelling, our cars, our food, our schools, our jobs, our religion and our entertainment. But why do we complain about there being so much "junk" on Netflix and on television? The answer is this: it is thrown at us and we can't avoid it. If we are out hunting for a new car, we go to the car lot, see what we like, and then go home. With modern technology, we can't "go home" from what is thrown at us on the screens of our devices and televisions.
The answer I have regarding how to avoid all of this is simple: you can't. Unless you throw out all of your technology, and be cut off from your friends and family, that's one option, but if you want to remain sane and stay connected, just hang on to what you have. Sure it is frustrating, but you are ultimately in charge of what you make of this world. So turn on your Netflix, start scrolling through the movies and shows, because ultimately you will make a choice, and that choice can either better you, or make you a vegetable on the living room couch.
