It is inevitable. Time after time I have told myself that I have got to stop. It's not healthy. It's not a good habit. But I just can’t stop, and neither can a lot of Netflix users. Yes, binge watching: when you continue to watch episode after episode of a show for a long period of time. Our generation is known for this, and it happens to the best of us, we just need to be aware of it. It is a disease contracted from the addiction to a particular show, and boy does it have some serious side effects. But many of us have been there (or are still there), and there is just something so satisfying about binge watching. So, as a former -- and current -- binge watcher, here are some signs that you might be a binge watcher too.
1. You have been confronted
Your friends and family have noticed that you have spent quite a lot of time committed to said show. They have taken notice of the hours upon hours you have spent crouched over your laptop, and are beginning to get concerned.
2. Denial
You have told yourself that one more episode isn’t going to hurt. You have contemplated getting up to complete your real-life responsibilities but just don’t have the motivation. You continue to tell yourself that you are not obsessed and you can quit at any time. Yep. I’m fine.
3. You start to feel connected
This is when it really starts to get dangerous. You have now begun to insert yourself into said show. You come up with nicknames for your favorite characters. You talk to the characters as if you were actually there. You think you know the characters better than they know themselves. And at this point, any dramatic changes like a breakup or a death feels personal.
4. “Sorry, I have plans.”
No, you don’t. At this level of the addiction, you now consider this show a part of your daily routine. A day is just not complete until you watch several episodes, and nothing is going to stand in the way of you and this commitment.
5. There is no stopping now
You can’t stop. Not only does the next episode automatically start playing, but you can’t get enough. You may really need to do an assignment, or really need to go to bed so you can function in the morning, but you just can’t stop.
6. You begin to realize your condition
You have spent so many hours invested in this show you can’t stop now, but you now begin to realize that you might have a problem. You began to add up all the time you have spent watching your show. This many seasons times that many episodes at about an hour apiece… oh no… what have I become.
7. Commitment
OK. So you know that binge watching this show may not have been the best life decision, but the finish line is in sight.
8. Now what?
You finally watch the last episode, and the depression sets in. You find yourself wondering what you are going to do with all this free time you have now acquired. Is life even worth living anymore without your favorite show to watch?! What do I do?
9. Hmmm… what is this?
And now somehow you have found another show. Even though it will never replace your last show, it is a new and different obsession, and it needs your affection too.
It’s a never-ending cycle. A chronic disease that some of us just can’t shake, but we are fine. It’s not a real problem -- we could be a lot worse off, right?
