Netflix is an online platform which streams movies and TV shows for users for a designated price per month. The ease of access to missed episodes and favorite movies has made Netflix appealing to people of all age groups. However, this vast database of movies and TV shows has created a new pastime for people of America - binge watching. This phenomenon ( definitely a phenomenon) occurs when a user watches approximately two to six episodes of the same show back to back - I am a guilty participant. This process seems to create a sort of trance where people escape from their daily lives and duties into the world of TV shows. Sure catching up on one or two missed episodes shouldn't be cause for alarm, but many teenage students are taking binge watching to another level. This addiction to online shows can cause loss of attention, a slowing of circulation and metabolism, sleep deprivation and many other health concerns.
According to a study done by Epidemiologist Steven Blair, a professor of public health at the University of South Carolina, sitting for an extended period of time can cause an increased level "of cholesterol, blood sugar [and] triglycerides" which can lead to serious health issues like diabetes. This new trend of bing watching has become prevalent due to the ease of access. If the availability of sensational shows were limited to primetime TV or just cabe networks and not the internet, such issues would not arise.
People have take serious damage to their social lives, familial lives and in the case of students, their educational lives. Michael Hsu writes in the Washington Street Journal that while he binge watches, "At 3 a.m., bleary-eyed and faced with the choice of watching another episode or going to bed so I could be ready for work and family the next day, I've often found myself opting for "just one more" hit." The instant gratification binge watching provides takes away from our levels of patience in the real world. Just because we are so used to moving forward with the plot of a TV show, we start to subconsciously expect that from our daily life.
Binge-watching has also been perpetuated by popular websites talking about "best TV shows to binge watch." These people work to exploit the weakness of people and lure them into watching their programs for an extended period of time. According to an article on Newsday, there are guidelines on which show to binge-watch. The increased hype around this activity has made it a "cool" thing for students to do causing a decrease in their performances academically. If there were regulations placed to the amount of episodes one can watch per day, maybe this problem wouldn't arise. Until then, binge away.
2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/04/binge-watching-tv-harmful-to-your-health_n_5732082.html
3. http://online.wsj.com/articles/how-to-overcome-a-binge-watching-addiction-1411748602
4. http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/best-tv-shows-to-binge-watch-1.5631924
According to a study done by Epidemiologist Steven Blair, a professor of public health at the University of South Carolina, sitting for an extended period of time can cause an increased level "of cholesterol, blood sugar [and] triglycerides" which can lead to serious health issues like diabetes. This new trend of bing watching has become prevalent due to the ease of access. If the availability of sensational shows were limited to primetime TV or just cabe networks and not the internet, such issues would not arise.
People have take serious damage to their social lives, familial lives and in the case of students, their educational lives. Michael Hsu writes in the Washington Street Journal that while he binge watches, "At 3 a.m., bleary-eyed and faced with the choice of watching another episode or going to bed so I could be ready for work and family the next day, I've often found myself opting for "just one more" hit." The instant gratification binge watching provides takes away from our levels of patience in the real world. Just because we are so used to moving forward with the plot of a TV show, we start to subconsciously expect that from our daily life.
Binge-watching has also been perpetuated by popular websites talking about "best TV shows to binge watch." These people work to exploit the weakness of people and lure them into watching their programs for an extended period of time. According to an article on Newsday, there are guidelines on which show to binge-watch. The increased hype around this activity has made it a "cool" thing for students to do causing a decrease in their performances academically. If there were regulations placed to the amount of episodes one can watch per day, maybe this problem wouldn't arise. Until then, binge away.
Works Cited:
1. http://www.npr.org/2011/04/25/135575490/sitting-all-day-worse-for-you-than-you-might-think2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/04/binge-watching-tv-harmful-to-your-health_n_5732082.html
3. http://online.wsj.com/articles/how-to-overcome-a-binge-watching-addiction-1411748602
4. http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/best-tv-shows-to-binge-watch-1.5631924
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