Netflix has become a social phenomenon. It has revolutionized the way many watch TV, kicking ads and high bills to the curb. Netflix has even started creating its own original series, and they're pretty good too. It has been the subject of conversations, merchandise and the not too well disguised euphemism, "Netflix and chill." However, with the frequency it is referred to in college life, are we addicted?
My personal average happens to be about an hour a day. There are days when I skip it. On rough days, that one hour can grow into two, maybe three. All my life I've been told TV is a time-sucker, a brain-musher and a black hole that I am wasting my limited hours on. It's not the most productive habit, I'll admit. If only my pottery wheel could fit in my dorm room, I might have a stress reliever that is actually productive. I wish it did. I wish my stress relief was writing award-winning songs and cooking wonderful foods, but it isn't. I selfishly, lavishly dedicate that hour to sitting down and accomplishing nothing. I dedicate it to having a snack, to truly escaping my day and to treating myself to some rest.
It's unproductive. It's self-indulgent. It's necessary. Maybe looking forward to that hour every single day makes it an addiction, but I don't think so. The truth is, everyone needs a little time to slow down. Without my little break, I'd go absolutely bonkers. All of my stress would just build and build, a tornado of nervous energy wrecking everything in it's path. That includes me too.
If you have to call it an addiction, call it a healthy addiction. It is efficient. I don't have to drive to the beach or get fancy supplies, and it's not limited by weather. All I need is Wi-Fi and my laptop, which I always have on campus, and I'm ready to go. Picking something readily available, even economic, that's smart.
Who cares if it's unproductive? It's also nonviolent, unobtrusive and semi-social. Television shows are great topics of conversation and instant ways to connect with others. They definitely came up in sorority recruitment, so is it really a waste of time? No. College can be stressful, and relaxing can be hard. Let's not forget, I'm not wasting any time watching ads! Yes, too much of it is bad, but that goes for just about everything. Watch Netflix. Feel good about it. Everyone deserves to rest.
