I was never a TV person growing up, but since I’ve been in college, my love of binge-watching shows has grown over time. Streaming sites like Netflix have strongly encouraged me to dedicate hours to a new show, and this is the journey it feels like.
Your best friend recommends a show to you, and you agree to watch. One episode in and you know you’re hooked.
You spend an entire weekend watching the first season and have a strange reaction when you finally step out into daylight again on Monday.
You send a mass amount of texts about the latest exciting discovery of the show. It’s not an exaggeration when I say that I sent 25 texts to my friend Sophie at the end of season two of Gilmore Girls. Thank you for your support.
You start having strong emotional reactions toward the characters because they’ve become your friends, too. To be honest, I still cry any time I watch a Jim and Pam montage.
Halfway in, you question why you thought it was a good idea to commit to a seven-season show that has 45-minute episodes.
This fact, however, doesn’t deter you from watching. You carry on happily.
You’ve become way too invested and tend to prioritize the show first and foremost. You’re brought back to reality when someone asks, “What about your homework?”
You decide you will put your show on pause in order to focus on your education.
When midterms are finally over, you feel it’s appropriate to start watching again. You hole up in your room to power through the last two seasons.
When you finally finish the show, you’re feeling victorious and tell everyone you know that they should watch it as well so you can discuss.
The realization kicks in that you won’t get to watch the show every day anymore, and you accept the fact that you’ll probably never find a show that’s equally as great.
As for me, I’ll be finishing Gilmore Girls and then picking Mad Men back up. Here’s to hoping I can make it through the rest of the semester with time to dedicate to Netflix.
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