As I progressively fight to keep my eyes open to watch a few more seconds of Scandalbefore the exhaustion of a long day washes over me and I let the need for sleep win, I realize how many nights I stay up way past the time my body clock should allow. Just to let my addiction take over and watch yet another five or so episodes of whatever binge-worthy show Netflix has to offer.
I love watching TV shows, but not when they are actually on TV. It’s too hard for me to sit down and watch TV at an exact time, every week. I don’t even think I have purchased cable in the past three years for this reason. I didn't need to, because, you know...
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N E T F L I X
Netflix is a college kid’s dream. We can watch what we want when we want. Most of us have way too busy of schedules or aren't willing to pay for cable when we would much rather spend it on a site that gives us all the shows we want at the touch of a button - plus it’s an easy way to plan a date: Netflix and Chill. Am I right?
Regardless of if you pay for your own account or you’re still using the passcode of your roommates from freshman year *avoid anything too weird so they don’t change their password* the love for this online streaming site has grown exponentially in the past decade.
For me, I like picking a show and devoting myself to it fully. I get invested in the characters, the plot, and sometimes I honestly feel like I’m living in the show because I’ll spend my Sundays letting the episodes roll by and only make enough movement to click the “Continue Watching” button. I’m not ashamed to say I've watched all 11 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix in less than two months. No judgment.
Obviously, we all love Netflix. It’s the easiest to pull up at the end of the day and unwind and fall asleep to, but, like I said, as I was watching it this past weekend I noticed some dust sitting on top of my Kindle that lays on my nightstand for whenever I get the urge to read.
Yes, we all read articles on our smartphones during the day and trivial tweets our friends post, but what about all those life-changing page-turners we are missing out on? I may be slightly dramatic about this, but I do believe there are some books out there that can change your life.
I absolutely love reading. When I get into a good book I can’t stop. A day at the beach, a long car ride, whenever I don’t have WiFi, I remember how wonderful the magic is of getting lost in the pages of a book.
For eyes that have been plastered on a computer screen or phone all day, it’s nice to stare at the subdued screen of a Kindle or the typed print on an actual paperback. Instead of staring lifelessly at a computer or TV, a book allows your imagination to soar. To continue thinking, learning and creating your own edition of whatever story your eyes are fixated on.
I’m not saying give up Netflix, because well, I would never do that. Therefore, I wouldn't advise you to either. However, instead of falling asleep to the sounds of actors dramatizing a scene, go find a book and start reading.
Maybe you’re not a fan of reading, but I’m willing to bet it’s just because you haven’t found the book for you. Do some research on genres you might be interested in. Some of the shows you watch are based on original books or have novels similar to them. It may be hard and a little bit of a change in habit to pick up a book at night, but once you get into it you’ll realize how much better it is to fall asleep to.
Also, reading is known to reduce stress levels. TV is known to change the composition of your brain.
Now that’s stressful.
Dr. David Lewis describes the effect, “It really doesn't matter what book you read, by losing yourself in a thoroughly engrossing book you can escape from the worries and stresses of the everyday world and spend a while exploring the domain of the author’s imagination.”
It's active interaction. With watching shows we just feed our brains without actually needing to use our brains and it requires little to no effort. Reading is just as relaxing but gives our body and mind so much more.
That's why we need to stop replacing books with Netflix.
The ultimate difference between books and a TV show is when you read, you get to design the story. Of course, the book has the same words and plot that everyone reads, but you get to picture it. You pick out what the characters look like and exactly how you see the scenes play out are specific to your own preference. It makes it a unique experience for every reader.
You can pause a book at night in the sense that you’ll stop reading when you get tired and your eyes begin to shut. Then you can pick it up right where you left off, instead of fighting the urge to fall asleep in fear of missing something that's playing on the screen in front of you. Of course, you can always rewind or start the episode over, but our tired minds never think that way, and we will keep our eyes peeled open to finish whatever episode is being fed on the screen in front of us.
Another reason to pick up the book instead of turning on Netflix is that every story is a new adventure. You don’t need to debate to start a new show, start one of your favorite shoes over for the tenth time. or re-watch a movie you've seen way too many times to count. There are so many books out there that haven’t been read yet.
You can bring it anywhere and everywhere. If you’re on a plane, in a car, you have your book.
A book always has an ending. So instead of investing yourself in a TV show that has 22 seasons, invest in one book.
You'll be surprised how much better you will feel.
