The Netflix Trance: we’ve all been there. You wake up in the morning, thinking you are going to be super productive and then it’s four in the afternoon and you wonder why you’ve accomplished absolutely nothing. And the answer is always the same: Netflix.
I’ve been there (more times than I am willing to admit), and that is why I deleted Netflix over two years ago.
Deleting Netflix was the best decision I’ve ever made. Not because it saved me money and definitely not because it saved me time, but because it saved my social life.
My relationship with Netflix started out pretty normal. First it was an episode or two every other day, and then it became a couple of episodes every night. Once that became normal, it was a season a week (sometimes even just a couple of days). But that was common, right? I mean everyone was raving about Netflix.
Then I caught myself hoping that my friends would cancel plans so that I could stay in and watch One Tree Hill. Dates with my boyfriend became “Netflix and chill” nights instead of real, formal dates. Eventually, I began to be the one cancelling plans with friends and family. And why? So that I could watch “one more episode.”
I was literally falling into the black hole of binge watching TV.
I, of course, never noticed there was a problem, until I had a major paper due for English the Monday after Fall Break.
Long story short, I kept putting it off and avoiding it for the entire week. Finally, I told myself that I had procrastinated too long and that I needed to write the paper. So Sunday night (a whopping 16 hours before the paper is due) I sit down to write. Only instead, I turn on Gossip Girl.
“Just one episode.” “Okay, just one more.” It was not until 7 a.m. that I realized that my paper was due in 2 hours and I had watched an entire season of Gossip Girl over the course of the night.
How embarrassing.
I was not the type of person to take my education lightly. I was not the type of person to blow off my friends. I was not the type of person to stare at a screen all day. So why did I let myself be that person?
As someone who suffers from anxiety and depression, I realized that I was using Netflix as a security blanket. It was my excuse to be an introvert. It was a safe reason to stay in and not leave my comfort zone. It made me “calm” and “happy”. Only it didn’t. It was actually keeping me from having fun.
I immediately deleted Netflix. Wrote the worst paper in school history. And I never looked back.
I’m not saying that Netflix is bad; I’m just saying that you can’t let it be a priority in your life and you certainly can’t use it as a crutch.
When friends ask if you can hang out, SAY YES. Go climb a mountain, visit a coffee shop. Go technology-free for an entire day. I promise you will notice a difference in your spirit, your energy, and the relationships you have with the people around you.
Please, whatever you do, whatever shows you watch, try to watch more sunrises than series.
