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The Anesthetic Effect of Netflix (or, How Bad Internet Changed My Life)

We all love a good Netflix binge. Or Hulu, or Amazon Prime, or Vine collections on Youtube... but whatever your poison may be, it's probably damaging your mental health.

By Nicola YoungPublished 6 years ago 5 min read
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Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

Netflix (and its ilk) can have serious detrimental effects on your mental health, especially for those who have pre-existing problems.

Don't get me wrong—I love Netflix. And Amazon Prime. And Hulu. And the vast collection of thousands of movies and TV shows that my dad has copied from VHS to DVD over the years (don't tell the FBI).

This isn't going to be a lecture about "getting outside and living your life," "kids these days are always plugged in," "you need to be falling out of a tree at least once a week," or whatever the current attitude is. But it is important to be aware of the causes and effects of what I'll call "chronic Netflix binging." For simplicity's sake I will generally use Netflix to refer to any method of binging content, (yeah, Youtube and Vine (RIP) count too).

Netflix isn't a bad thing. In fact, I think it's a wonderful thing: it facilitates social interactions (and no, I'm not just talking about Netflix and chill), helps you unwind after a long day, and provides easy access to the pop culture that a large portion of our daily discussions and references consist in.

But it's also an anesthetic.

Many of you probably already know what I'm talking about. When I'm down in the dumps, there are tons of things that could make me feel better, both during and after: reading, writing, crafts, (sometimes) socializing, actually doing the work that's causing me anxiety... but those things are difficult. Watching a 22-episode season in one sitting might sound difficult, but it's mindless. It lets you shut off, and when your mind is anxious or upset, that's exactly what you want. It's the path of least resistance.

I sometimes sit down with the intention of opening up a book to relax—because reading is relaxing, and healing, and pretty much any positive adjective I could think of—but find myself opening up my computer instead. Now, sometimes shutting off really is what you need; after a long day of classes or work, when your mind is tired, a few episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer is just the thing. But when you open up Netflix to escape your negative thoughts, your fears and anxieties and deadlines, you are only hurting yourself.

You are hurting yourself because it works. It numbs you. It makes all go away—while you're watching. But when you're done, or even in the 15-second countdown between episodes, it comes back. And it comes back worse. Your brain says "What are you doing? I'm telling you something is wrong. I'm telling you, you need to fix me. Why aren't you listening?"

Sometimes that voice in my head just perpetuates the cycle. Rather than dealing with my anxieties, whether by taking care of the cause or doing something that genuinely relaxes me, I say, "No, brain. Quiet now. I'm pretending you don't exist." And I watch another episode. And then I feel worse, so I watch another episode to avoid dealing with that.

There were periods of my life—really dark periods—where I slept only every third night or so. Not because I was always out all night, not because I was crazy and out of control, but because I could only let myself put away the numbing agents when I would fall asleep immediately. I guess in that way, I was out of control. I was stuck in this vicious, life-ruining cycle of needing to turn myself off.

It's a strange sort of cognitive dissonance, knowing full well that reading even a light, fun fantasy novel would relax me and make me feel better, and still choosing the option that would leave me tired but wired, and even more anxious than before. It was the path—or rather, the cycle—of least resistance, and it took an incredible amount of self-control to form the habits to break it. To turn my computer off an hour before bed. To log out of Netflix until the paper was done. To take my journal outside where there's no wifi, or to a different room with no computer.

But with some work, and admittedly the help of internet so terrible it was impossible to watch anything at home, I've found ways to genuinely help myself feel better. Not just to turn it off.

Now maybe you're reading this and thinking "Jesus, do people really have that unhealthy a relationship with Netflix?" Maybe you've only ever used Netflix to take a quick break, to unwind a little, to hang out with friends or lovers. If so, good on you. But I encourage you to think about—maybe even make a list of—the things that leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated, that help you meet your goals and boost your motivation, that make you feel good about yourself. Then make a list of the things that drain your energy, that leave you with regret, that waste your time. Where does Netflix really fall for you?

I'm not saying delete your account. I'm not even saying don't watch Netflix every day. I'm just saying that there are good reasons and bad reasons for watching Netflix, good times and bad times to do it. If you're aware of those, if you can structure your life so that Netflix is just an aid in your enjoyment rather a crutch to stop yourself from needing to think or feel, then carry on. If not, if you're like me, I encourage you to make a few changes.

Don't stop watching. Just think before you watch.

coping
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About the Creator

Nicola Young

Too many thoughts unshared.

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