Is Netflix killing your productivity?

Ever since it appeared Netflix has been our constant companion with shows and series that you can now binge watch for days. Since 2020 locked us inside our homes, we became even more familiar with the idea of rewatching series or starting new ones. But is this healthy or is this killing our productivity?

Back in the day, we were used to seeing our favorite movies at the cinema, after some time they would be available on DVDs and then on the TV. Series would only be available on TV. There was also the “dark” side of the internet, where you could download and watch them as you pleased, yet not everyone did it. So 90% of the population was left with watching TV and only being able to see what was dictated by the cable companies. Most of the time, those would get interrupted by commercials and you would only get an episode of two.

When Netflix appeared, we were all happy to see that we would receive full series and movies at high quality in our living room, or our smart devices. We started to watch season after season, we got access to more options each month and we have enough content to spend our entire life in front of the TV. Unfortunately, this comes with a price, that of our time.

In the last couple of months I noticed that I have been “investing” most of my free time in watching series that would actually drain me of my energy. Dramas that make me anxious and constant curiosity of what happens next that keeps me glued to the TV. My interest in other areas has decreased and my overall well being impacted. 

Since Gossip Girl was the latest series that I tried to finish before Netflix removed it, I will use it as an example. Back in high-school, when this was first released, I used to see an episode per week, when I was in college I left it for a while and then I remember seeing a full season in a couple of weeks. I soon lost interest in it and moved to other things. Last year when I saw that a spin-off will be released in 2021 and that the old one will be removed, I started to watch it like crazy. I think I saw 4 seasons in less than one month. When I was done with it I was exhausted, my brain was wrecked. In the end I wasn’t even sure why I liked it so much since the drama was at a ridiculous level.  

In 2020 I noticed that my productivity level has decreased a lot, and the time I’ve spent in front of the TV has increased. Netflix was on almost every day and sometimes I even let it on while I was working. I started to sleep poorly and sometimes I had nightmares related to what I watched on the previous day. Also, I noticed that my interest in anything other than series has decreased a lot. For 2021 I decided that I need a TV detox, I want to have a break from anything drama related and try to increase other activities that can be performed indoors, hopefully as we move into spring the pandemic will be under control for us to stay more outside.