It was the year of 1997 in Scotts Valley, California where one of the greatest internet phenomenons was created: Netflix. Two men by the names of Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph decided to come up with the streaming service including hundreds of our favorite shows, movies, documentaries, and short films. I’m sure that Hastings and Randolph coming up with a way to watch TV without commercials was simply a light bulb idea that they knew would make them billions. With a monthly fee of $12.99, you can have endless entertainment at the tips of your fingers. However, what they probably didn’t know about their beautiful creation is that within the next decade, it would become a social cue to getting freaky. That’s where the title of this article comes in. “Netflix and Chill” has become a universal phrase that everyone knows is code for having sex. The majority of the time you watch Netflix with someone you’re romantically involved with, you’re going to end up with your shirt off somehow, someway. You may have just wanted to go over and watch Moana and the next thing you know… It’s funny actually, the way there’s an unspoken tension in the room when you’re laid up watching Netflix. All of a sudden, the movie you were so interested in becomes drastically boring and all you can focus on is the physical contact between you and the other person.
The art of Netflix and chilling is all about reading body language. If you’re hanging out with a person with the intentions of taking it a step further than just “chilling,” a thigh rub here or hand placement there is a good way of getting something started. However, if that’s not what you had in mind and you actually do want to just cuddle and watch a scary movie this Halloween season, that’s perfectly okay too. The problematic thing about the whole idea of Netflix and Chill is that it can make us feel pressured into doing sexual activity when we really just wanted to watch a movie and chill. The art and beauty of it all is respecting each other’s boundaries and consensually taking it to whatever level you please, whether that’s sitting on opposite sides of the couch during the whole movie or taking back shots within the first ten minutes. It’s smart to have open communication about what you want or don’t want, and that goes for being in any space with someone romantically. I advise us all to Netflix and Chill smartly, safely, and most importantly, have fun :)