You hear it a lot these days "Well, I've been watching all these TV shows again. Shame on me!" confessions. For some reason people are being shamed into watching movies and TV shows, while they "should be cracking open some books or enjoy the theatre." Well no more of that, because I am here to tell you that there is nothing wrong with binge-watching your favorite show on Netflix!
Back in the day, posh people from all over would find themselves going to the theatre. It was one of the most respected forms of entertainment. Even the ancient Greeks themselves loved some good theatre. Nowadays, we might not go to the theatre as often, but why should we when we have another source of perfectly fine entertainment right in front of us? It might be different, but at the core it comes down to the same: Actors performing a matter of fiction to take our minds of the real world even for a moment. One is live and the other one is recorded. It simply comes down to preference.
In Rome they had bread and games, isn't that the same as Ben & Jerry's and Netflix? It's a source of entertaiment, to not think about your own issues or those of the world around you. It's the valuable me time, to get your head straight and out of the game. Should we be called out for sometimes wanting to take our mind of things?
Just like books, watching TV shows and movies is about exploring different worlds, different realities. We're being forced to really take a look at something outside of our comfort zone, something we might not already be familiar with. If someone prefers to watch the next season instead of reading the following chapter let them, who are you to judge? Different strokes for different folks.
Moreover, you can read and hear about different cultures and languages but what's better than actually seeing and listening to them? By watching documentaries the cultures you've only ever heard of are right there in your living room. You can actually be part of the experience and see what it is actually like. Also watching foreign films or even telenovelas can help you understand and see how a language is used and spoken by natives. It's definitely much better than all those tapes you hear in the classroom. It's the closest you can get to hearing people speak their original language without having to visit the country.
So next time someone is asking you why you finished a season in a day, keep these arguments in mind. It's a product of our time, you're not betraying anyone by enjoying this source of entertainment. Bonus points if you mention that the Roman Cicero wasn't fan of the games at his time either!
