In an age of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime and, if you're really lucky, HBO, there are hundreds (probably thousands if we're being honest) of shows out there to binge-watch and we've all been there. Those weeks when we want to do nothing more than consume our life with the fictional lives of others on a TV show. It may only take five days to watch seven seasons, but by golly those were an amazing seven years that I watched and I have no regrets. Here are the stages of binge-watching a show.
When you find a show and think this might be good so you start watching it thinking you'll maybe watch a couple of episodes then get back to everyday life.
But then you realize how good the show is and tell yourself, "One more episode then I'll get back to that homework I've already put off for a couple hours."
Then, this dreaded screen comes up and for a second you consider stopping, but you just have to know what happens next so you keep going.
You then realize it's gotten dark outside, you've been sitting here for six hours and have barely moved for more than bathroom breaks and to grab a bag of chips from five feet away (and honestly it was the hardest thing you did all day).
When you finally pull yourself away to go to sleep (even if it's already 4 a.m.) you think about what exactly you did with your life that day...
But honestly, it was worth it and you resume the moment you get back from school the next day.
Seven years, eight days? That's child's play! Try seven years, two days.
By day three, you've probably turned down at least one social engagement and your loved ones are starting wonder if you're okay, but honestly you just don't understand what they're so worried about.
Finally, after watching this show for five days straight, you've finished 11 seasons (a personal best), but what do you do now?
What did I do before this show? How do I go on after this show?
Obviously, the next logical step is to jump to the Internet, join all the fandoms, and talk to others who feel the same as you.
"You ship who with who?!?!" "I can't believe you would do that, don't you know they're brothers?"
And finally, once you've exhausted all the feels to the Internet, it's time to move on. You go back to Netflix and find another show to watch because, after all, life must go on.
Say it with me now: "I am a binge-watcher. I spend hours a day watching the same TV show. I know I have a problem, but my shows love me, and I love them. I am never giving up this Netflix subscription."
