Streaming Services

I remember back in college when people would reference Netflix & Chill as a common activity. Most college students don’t have much money and so this was considered a date night. The Netflix of course refer to watching tv shows or movies and the chill referring to using Netflix as an excuse to get intimate with the other person.

Netflix is a top streaming service along with others such as Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO Now, etc. Popular shows and movies on these streaming devices often get tweeted about encouraging more and more people to get these streaming services.

In this post, I would like to go over the advantages and disadvantages of these streaming services:

Advantages

Affordable-For under $20.00 a month streaming services like Netflix give you access to thousands of movies and tv shows. This is cheaper than going out to the movie theater. Going to the movies costs at least $11.00 a ticket and that’s not even including snacks. Between snacks, drinks and the movie ticket you will likely spend about $25.00 a person.

If you go to the movies once a week, that adds up to $100.00 a month compared to spending under $20.00 a month on Netflix. Buy yourself some candy at the dollar store, microwave some popcorn and you have a cost effective movie night in.

Relatable-Netflix (and other streaming devices) are a great topic of conversation among peers. People rave about shows like Grace & Frankie, Grey’s Anatomy, Big Little Lies, and Game of Thrones. If you are meeting new people at a party, going on a date or just need an ice breaker in general, talking about the shows you watch usually does the trick.

The shows and movies that we watch on these streaming services, give us a common interest with people. You can discuss how you felt about the last season of Game of Thrones with other people who also saw it. This is always a great conversation fall back with people if you can’t think of anything else.

Rainy Day/Sick Day

Netflix is perfect for when you are feeling sick or when the weather isn’t great outside. What else do you do when you need to rest or when it’s snowing outside? Whenever the weather is rainy or snowy I feel guilt free when I make myself a nice cup of hot cocoa and turn on the newest Netflix movie. It’s also great when you are sick and need to be in bed resting anyway.

Portable

Most streaming services are great on a car/airplane/train. On Netflix, if you download what you want to watch ahead of time, you can watch it while traveling (without WIFI).You can also watch anywhere with WIFI of course in places such as coffee shops and quick food chains like Panera Bread. Personally I watch Netflix when working out on the elliptical at the gym. It’s a great way to pass the time while trying to get in shape.

Disadvantages

Antisocial

It is great that Netflix is portable but it can also take away from meeting new people in your everyday life. If you are watching HBO Now on an airplane/train, it takes away from you getting to know the person next to you. They could be a potential future partner or best friend that you missed out on getting to know.

Missing Out

When you are watching Netflix on car rides with friends/family, you are missing out on quality time with them. Life is short and moments with friends/family are valuable. Don’t take these moments for granted because you are too busy watching Amazon Prime.

Unhealthy Obsession

I hear people on Facebook brag about how many episodes/seasons of a show they have watch in one day like it’s some sort of competition or something. On average, Americans are watching around 5 hours of TV everyday. How many hours of television is healthy to watch per day? Limiting TV watching to less than 2 hours per day can add almost 1 ½ years to your life expectancy.

Netflix binging can be especially unhealthy for children who should be outside playing with their friends. Kids need to be socializing instead of staring at a TV screen. They also need their vitamin D. Kids can play board games, play with their toys, read a book or go outside instead of watching Netflix all day.

Learning from Netflix

Some kids are frequently on Netflix and let the documentaries/shows on there teach them about life instead of learning from their parents/teachers. Children can learn bad habits about sex, crime and drugs from these shows/movies if not monitored by their parents.

Final Thoughts- Like anything in life, too much of these streaming services on a daily basis is definitely a bad thing. If you find yourself watching too much, try reading a book or taking a walk outside.

Do you watch streaming services too often and for prolonged periods of time? Let me know some of your favorite shows/movies in the comments below! Thanks for reading!