Quitting Netflix

Call me crazy but it was a good decision for me!

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This is not something I usually publicise (since many people feel very strongly about their shows) but I quit watching Netflix about 6 months ago. I used to be a huge Netflix user. My family had a 'family plan' because we were all constantly getting in each others' way when we only had one account, and I used my account frequently. I loved shows like NCIS, Sherlock, Elementary (the American version of Sherlock) and so many more. I watched Netflix by myself, with my ex-boyfriend, and with my friends. It was my go-to whenever I was bored or wanted to procrastinate doing homework. Although I hate to admit it, sometimes I would pass up going out with my friends to relax at home-- and watch Netflix. After a few busy weeks of uni when I literally did not have time to watch Netflix at all, I realised that I was way more productive without it. And, if I was honest with myself, it was taking away from my social life without really making me happy. It was something to do but it wasn't something that ultimately made me feel any better after I was finished doing it. Then coincidentally in one of my classes we read some psychological research about the effect of TV-watching on happiness. The results showed that watching TV actually doesn't make you happy and sometimes it makes you feel worse after watching it. So with all those things in mind, I decided to try not watching Netflix for one week to see if I was more productive and how it felt. Eventually, one week turned into two and so on.

For those of you who are still sceptical, I don't blame you. I sometimes still miss it when I'm sitting in bed with nothing to do. And it was a weird adjustment for my relationship at the time as we could no longer watch a show together but, ultimately, I am happy with my decision. I still watch shows with friends, so it's not like I banned all TV/movies/documentaries from my life. I still socialise in that way every once in awhile. And it's made me remember my love for reading and audiobooks.

Anyway, that's the end of my spiel. If you think Netflix might be taking up just a little bit too much of your time in an unhealthy way, I would encourage you to try quitting. Even if it's just for a week - see how it feels! For those of you who think I'm crazy, that's okay too :)

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