We all have our legal addictions. Coffee. Chocolate. Work, if you’re really bad at picking something to be addicted to.
These days, it seems that many of us can add Netflix to the list. While sitting down in front of a screen to waste hours on mindless entertainment isn’t exactly a new phenomenon, Netflix has made it extraordinarily easy to find a TV show that can eat up an entire weekend’s worth of free time.
Sure, this can be quite convenient when you’ve had a stressful work week and just want to shut your brain off, but like any addiction, legal or otherwise, there are some drawbacks to your Netflix habit. We’re not saying you should cancel your account, but it may be a good idea to spend some time away from Netflix for a while.
After all, too much Netflix means. . .
Not Enough Talking
You know the scene. It’s Friday night, and you and your significant other both want to unwind after a long day at work. You decide to scan through Netflix, looking for a movie or show you’ll both enjoy.
Odds are, at some point, you’ll find something worth watching. In fact, you’ll probably find many entertaining films and programs.
Sadly, that means there will be less connection between you and your partner. You’ll spend the entire evening barely speaking. That’s only supposed to happen when one partner does something vaguely wrong and the other one decides to impose the silent treatment, because all couples fight like five-year-olds every now and again.
Netflix didn’t create this problem, but it has most definitely exacerbated it. In the past, you’d flip through the TV, realize there’s nothing on, and – gasp! – resort to talking to your loved one.
Now, that’s not likely to happen.
Less Progress
Free time does not exist solely to be spent on trivial pursuits (and that includes Trivial Pursuit).
In an ideal world, we’d all be employed in careers that developed our minds, challenged our perspectives, and allowed us to grow as human beings. Unfortunately, reality doesn’t often conform to our wishes. At work, we perform tasks that improve our bank accounts but rob our souls.
It can be tempting, then, to use your time away from work to try and forget about the stress, but it’s much more important to make time to strive towards personal goals. Physical fitness, creative aspirations, finding how many licks it takes to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop (the world will one day know). . .you need to keep these values in mind.
Netflix binging won’t help you do that.
Poor Health
As is the case with any sedentary activity that stimulates neither the body nor the mind, Netflix binges are simply extremely unhealthy. While it may take some time for you to see the negative effects this habit is having on your well-being, if you don’t take some time off from your account, you’ll fall prey to a host of ailments that we’d all rather avoid.
Evolution has programmed us for many activities. Sitting on the couch all day to watch an epic drama about an evil meth cook isn’t one of them.
Less Socializing
As mentioned above, the person with whom you indulge in your Netflix addiction could be an entirely pleasant individual, but you won’t get the chance to remind yourself of that when you’re staring at a screen together instead of talking to each other.
In fact, there are many pleasant individuals out there in the world. Research indicates that human beings have a biological need to socialize; if we lose touch with our sense of community, we tend to develop symptoms of depression pretty quickly.
Watching a lot of Netflix may be easier than going out to meet up with friends, family, or – and yes, this may sound crazy – new, potential friends, but in the long run, it’s not nearly as satisfying.
I’m not saying we should all cancel our accounts. That’z crazy talk (and I suspect Netflix would have me “taken care of” if I did take such a position). I’m just saying, take a break once in a while. Get some fresh air. See the world. It’s nice out here.