Netflix has become the new drug of choice for many young adults. It’s endless entertainment at our fingertips that allows for us to lay around and do nothing except live vicariously through characters in a far-off TV show. Now, don’t get me wrong--I enjoy watching Netflix, and it is nice to occasionally binge after a long week. However, people need to start considering the impact that this can have on their daily lives.
One of the biggest problems with Netflix is that you typically can’t sit down and watch just one episode. Say you decide to start watching "Breaking Bad." Well, the first episode finishes, and you’re already so into it that you decide to keep watching, and before you know it you’ve watched the whole first season in one sitting. Netflix makes it easy for this to happen because it automatically plays the next episode when the previous one has finished. While this may seem convenient, it’s also a good way to waste away six hours without knowing it. Six hours in one day! That is 25 percent of your day spent doing absolutely nothing. In a society that has started "romanticizing" binge-watching, this may seem perfectly acceptable. But, if you put this into perspective, it is not something that should be praised. There are many other productive things that could be done if you cut out a few hours of that time. Spend one hour working out, another hour organizing your clutter, and another hour catching up on emails, bills, or other responsibilities. That still leaves you with three hours to watch Netflix, but also allows for productivity.
Another problem with Netflix is that it encourages many people to become unsocial. Netflix is something typically done by yourself in an isolated setting, where you can lay down in peace and quiet. Quiet isolation is nice for a few hours when you’re trying to unwind from a long day, but it is not the way that an entire day should be spent. There are so many people you could be meeting or opportunities you could be seizing. Laying inside by yourself is not going to help you meet people or make memories. In actuality, it will more than likely leave you feeling lonely and secluded because you aren’t outside experiencing the real world. It’s definitely something to consider the next time you want to lay in bed for a few hours without doing anything involving society. Go outside, meet new people, look for opportunities to pick up a new hobby or be involved in your community. Why has the societal norm led us to believe that being lazy is a good thing that we should strive for?
To add onto this, young adults should not have time to be lazy. The key here is understanding the difference between winding down and being lazy. If you want to watch one episode of Netflix before bed to unwind from your day and relax, then so be it. But if you are avoiding responsibilities or simply doing nothing for five hours just because you feel like it, that’s where the real problem happens. Being in college myself, I understand how crazy and hectic life can be. It’s difficult to manage work, extra-curriculars, homework, going to class and finding time to socialize and do stuff with friends. If you add into this running errands, working out and sleeping, that doesn’t leave for very much free time in a day. Granted, everyone’s lives are different, and some people may not be as busy as others. But instead of looking for new things to become involved in, people will fall back on Netflix. Instead of “I wonder if there’s something new I could try today since I have free time,” people begin to think “thank goodness I don’t have anything planned this afternoon because I can’t wait to lay in bed and watch seven episodes of my TV show.” Does this not seem problematic to anyone else? Life has so much to offer, yet people choose to waste it away by watching TV shows on their computers.
I guess what I’m really trying to say here is that Netflix has become an imminent problem in our generation that is not talked about because it is relatable for everyone. Everyone loves Netflix and has a TV show that they look forward to watching. Everyone likes feeling lazy and spending a whole day in bed doing nothing. This has become problematic to the point where people don’t even realize it’s a problem. We are missing out on so many opportunities because we are inclined to isolate ourselves to our laptops any chance we get. Take that into consideration the next time you decide to binge on a TV show on a Tuesday afternoon instead of taking care of responsibilities and meeting new people. Remember that while relaxation and alone time is necessary, there is a huge difference between that and being lazy.
