My laptop has perpetually become a split screen. Half work and half Netflix. It has become a habit that is just automatically implemented when I start doing work by myself.
Binge watching has become a way of life and it really affects the way college kids have been living. After a long day of internships, jobs, classes, and hours spent in the library, sometimes all you want to do is go home and relax; relax by continuing binge watching whatever show they may be watching at the time. Which means that after a LONG day of working, they come home to get sucked into a TV show that they probably end up watching for too long because “just one more episode and then I’ll sleep.” So now it’s 3a.m. and they have to be up at 7 to shower and be ready to get to class on time. Great. Only four hours of sleep tonight.
Why do we let ourselves fall victim to this cycle?
Even now, as I write this article I am currently watching Netflix on the other half of my screen. It’s comforting to have some background noise in the background, something to split my attention on to keep myself fully occupied as I write my article, watch Bones, and check my phone for notifications that haven’t come yet because I check it every five seconds.
The attention span of these new technological generations is becoming smaller and smaller as people get more used to short spurts of entertainment. Phone games are quick snippets of interaction before moving on to the next thing in order to keep the attention of the player. However, this is making the attention span of people shorter, since they do not have to hold their attention for extended periods of time.
I’ve also found that in social settings, it has become harder for people to endure silences within conversation. Instead of just starting a new topic or enjoying being with the person, the younger generation has turned to checking their phones to fill the void of speech.
Well as of right now, I’m getting sucked into my Netflix binging, so that’s the end of my little rant. Thanks for reading!