Are you still watching?
Taking breaks from streaming services has benefits
We’ve all been at that point sometime or another. You lose track of time, watch 18 episodes of your favorite show and forget about all of the homework you should be doing — then you begin to watch Netflix stressfully.
Netflix brings people together. Sharing a common love for a character or a show can help form bonds between people.
It almost seems too easy to watch without commercials.
Over the past couple of years, streaming services have become
very prominent because of their accessibility to endless movies and television shows. They are worshipped.
But what about regular TV? The so-called “old-fashioned” kind.
The kind where you switched the channels before deciding on what to watch. The kind where you actually had to record movies or watch them live and watch commercials.
Do you even miss it?
Do you miss being forced to watch the news while your mom’s in the other room making dinner? Being a child and feeling somewhat informed on what was going on in the world used to be empowering.
Watching commercials, no matter how cringe-worthy, always made you excited for the newest toy or the latest movie coming out.
It is important to be informed and to be entertained. Netflix can only do one of those things.
You can’t watch anything live on Netflix. Live sports games, events and award shows are all broadcasted on TV.
What about the times our parents spent watching the newest music videos on MTV when smartphones didn’t exist? Music videos aren’t accessible on streaming services.
You can’t replace live-action with pre-streamed episodes forever.
I’m not saying to banish streaming services for good, but we need to watch less Netflix and more live television. We need to create a
healthy balance between the two.
We can’t sacrifice our obligation to be informed of current events and products being advertised just because streaming services seem more convenient.
Watching real television may be “old-fashioned,” but it offers many valuable experiences that cannot be replaced with a tap of the “Click here to watch the next episode” button.
Maddy Kang is a co-editor in chief for The Tiger Print. She is a senior at BVHS and plays Varsity Soccer, is a member of NHS, tiger mentors and the environmental...
