One of the most common pastimes of today is spent on a screen. The convenience of technology combined with the busyness of everyday life often times leaves people with a tendency to spend a little less time with human interaction, outdoor adventure and self-betterment, and a lot more time amusement provided through any gadget. A tablet, smart television, cell phone, laptop or whatever other crazy contraption all have the ability to stream entertainment sites; one of our society's favorite sites, in particular, Netflix. This site can take over lives, but this year I won't have time to indulge in Netflix marathons, and that is okay with me.
Nothing is better than a website which contains old school films, five-star romance movies, current television dramas and an array of other options to satisfy almost any viewer. Bored? Netflix. Date night idea? Netflix. Background noise? Netflix. Girl's night? Netflix. There are endless situations where the power of such a site may take over our effort to do anything different. It's 'nice' to sit around and just be until that has gone too far.
Over the summer, it hit me. What do to the countless hours of staring at a screen catching up on the latest seasons of hit televisions shows actually do for a human being? Now this not to say watching Netflix is bad, but I know I personally will begin a series and binge until there is no more to be watched, and for what? I have fallen victim to the addiction that is watching anything and everything on this miracle of a site. Gossip Girl, Friday Night Lights, One Tree Hill, Revenge, Pretty Little Liars, Glee (honestly the list would get so long this article could become its own Netflix series) are only a few of shows I have given hundreds of hours my life to. Heck, I have even re-watched episodes of these shows multiple times. I know the excitement of being "in love" with characters. I find the same sadness when an episode goes unplanned. I understand the heartbreak of finishing a series which is no longer on the air. I get the repeating cycle of beginning a new show only to get away from the stressful things in life.
But it's time I stop, and maybe the same can go for you, too.
A friend and I were talking about this topic today, how watching television fills your brain with nothing while reading a book fills the mind with incredible activity. Staring at a screen there is no thought, the screen does all the thinking for the viewer. While a book causes the brain to imagine what could be seen. Websites such as Netflix provide a sort of amusement. According to A Way With Words Website, the word 'amuse' comes from the Latin form of the word which means "staring stupidly", otherwise said as "to be distracted by mindless entertainment". Simply put, amused means not to think.
As someone who has watched hours of Grey's Anatomy in one sitting, I can definitely attest that Netflix is a form of amusement. Often times I finish a show and wonder how else I could've spent my time. Surely there are better ways to relax and unwind than eating a tub of ice cream in comfy clothes, dreaming over a fantasy relationship for an entire night, or weekend or week... Girls, I know many of us have all drooled over McDreamy and McSteamy, (personally I would choose Owen Hunt every time). We have wondered what it would be like to have a friendship like Meredith and Christina, or how the overly dramatic hospital would be an interesting environment. In reality, watching those shows has done absolutely nothing for me at all, has it? Yes, they distract me from the real world and numb the mind, but doesn't that sound awful when you think about it?
I've spent recent moments thinking about what the brain must do when it is out in the world exploring, meeting new faces or experiencing new smells and tastes. I've thought about the work I could get done, the people I could reach out to, or the new skills I could develop in the future hours I'm not watching Netflix.
I believe the occasional time spent with your favorite movie or television series is perfectly okay! Sometimes the brain does need a little break from the outside world; sometimes you simply need to be. Yet, I'm challenging myself and others, too. Fill any extra time with activities and people to build up your happiness; try a new food, craft or sport every week; spend time in the book you tell yourself you're too busy to read; take the time to organize your life for you. It sounds incredibly cheesy to say, but live your life as if there is little time left. Wouldn't you want to be able to say you spent every moment you could become a better you? Wouldn't it be amazing to look back and say your life was lived to the fullest, not spent staring at a screen? Be careful of the entertainment that is Netflix, Hulu, HBO GO or whatever else comes to mind because one day you might wish you wouldn't have discovered them in the first place. It's okay to go against norms of society and not have time for Netflix, your time is worth more than that.
