Episode one in the first season of the X-Files ends with a room full of mysteries urging the viewers to continue onward to the next episode; and with the next episode the same urge arises. There are nine seasons and two hundred and two episodes of the X-Files all consisting of appetizing mysteries; and for only $7.99/month all those episodes are available on Netflix. This subscription to Netflix not only unlocks the hunger for the X-Files, but also the hunger for hundreds of TV shows and hundreds of movies. With Netflix as a tool boredom becomes an easy fix; however Netflix fixes boredom so well that it causes “binge watching”. In other words, the viewer is suctioned to the screen for hours with no view of their priorities. As a result, the …show more content…
This form of relaxation is shared worldwide with any person that has access to internet; and according to research by Pricewaterhouse Coopers twenty two percent of American households have access to this technology (Sidneyeve 1). Its convenience is its main selling point; all it takes is a click of a button on any phone; which is quite attractive to Gen Z (Sidneyeve 1).Most of this generation are still in the life of a Scholar and one study questions how common Netflix use is in School. “During an informal survey of 15, ULV students were asked their opinions on Netflix and the reasons for its popularity. The survey showed that 13 students out of 15 currently watch Netflix.”(Hockman 1). So majority of students take advantage of their smartphones and rely on Netflix as a way to relax after a long lecture, or during one. However, this form of relaxation burns a large amount of time resulting in an average six hour binge (Hockman 1). And for those that regularly bask in the glory of Netflix experience numerous negative …show more content…
This “binge watching” takes a lot of time, which results in less time for serious matters like school or work. So many people rather rush there work than to go without watching another episode of the X-Files; and ultimately they lose out on precious sleep. Other than the effects of watching for long periods, the content itself causes problems. “According to Kristian Veit, psychology professor at Olivet, watching television can have an impact on our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. The way it affects us depends on what shows we are watching.”(King 1). Excessive amounts of depressing content will result in a depressed viewer; and, similarly, excessive amounts of happy content will result in a happy viewer. Even more, Netflix corrodes the utility of imagination by promoting pure entertainment over
Winn, Marie. “Television Addiction” The McGraw-Hill Reader. 8th ed. Ed. Gilbert Muller, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. 505-507
The importance of consuming entertainment with value, and knowing the dangers of consuming entertainment without, is important in a society where passive entertainment is in such abundance. For, as today’s society moves forward, we must steer clear of Ray Bradbury’s dystopian future. Though it may be tempting to fill many of your hours with passive entertainment, you’ll it to be more rewarding to take up something of value, something that challenges you, something that makes you
It may be hard to admit, but television has become an intricate part of our everyday lives. People children often find themselves sitting in front of the television screen for a longer period of time than before and this has evolved immensely over the past few years. In this article, “The Trouble with Television,” by the author Marie Winn, mentions that addiction of television is negative effects on children and families. It keeps the families from doing other things and it’s a hidden competitor for all other activities. Television takes place of play and on top of that kids who watch a lot of television grow uncivilized. Also, the author mentioned that televisions are less resourceful for children and have negative effects on children’s school achievement and on physical fitness. Although there are so many other types of addictions but the author Marie Winn’s points of argument of watching television is a serious addiction that our children and families have negative effects.
Laziness is not a smart or a fun way to live life and watching reruns all day ultimately sounds boring. There are many people who are not only consumed with television, but technology in general. Gary Turk, a well known YouTuber, went viral for his video entitled “Look Up” which was about turning off distractions such as television and cell phones in order to spark a social revolution. Turk touches on the fact that “it’s not likely you’ll make world’s greatest dad when you can’t entertain a child without an iPad”. Gary Turk’s spoken word poem shows the modern version of Barbara Ehrenreich’s fears and allegations of television going too far. The fact that someone had to make a video explaining how technology has monopolized things in our lives and that video went viral is
In the argumentative essay “T.V. Addiction” by Marie Winn, Winn relates watching television to having an addiction with drugs and alcohol. The television experience allows us to escape from the real world and enter into a pleasurable and peaceful mental state. When it comes to television, Marie asks the following question: Is there a kind of television viewing that falls into the more serious category of destruction addiction? I believe there is. Why do so many people, instead of doing what they’re supposed to be doing, put everything on hold and just focus on television? I think this is because they want an escape from their problems.
Television has come a long way since it was first introduced. Originally, it was thought that the masses that watch television enjoyed the more simple shows that would tell you exactly what was going on from start to finish. In Steven Johnson’s article, “Watching TV Makes You Smarter”, Johnson argues that this is actually not the case. In fact, Johnson argues that much more people enjoy shows that involve multi threading, or multiple plots that are all connected.
Television shows have been a big part of our culture for several decades now. The progression on how these shows have affected our lives is something I’ve come to wonder about. Whether a good or bad thing, I personally don't go a day without some form of television interaction. The medias which we are able to access a tv series have become much more vast than the limitation of only a TV set. Many teens to young adults, including myself, stream series from tablets, pc’s and also cell phones now, which has completely changed the interaction standard, let alone what it is people take from the experience. People may not intentionally try to take something from watching 11 episodes of Gilmore Girls in one sitting, but it just comes to show how times
Binge watching: “viewing multiple episodes of a television program in rapid succession”, is a phenomenon that television enthusiasts have embraced with the introduction of new technologies like SVOD, streaming video on demand, television consumption platforms unique to the digital age (“binge-watch,” def. 1). Services that offer SVOD such as Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime are even encouraging binge watching through their marketing practices and content creation (Greenberg). So why is binge watching, or rather binge viewing, an activity that people are participating in under the false assumption that it is a socially unacceptable guilty pleasure; an indulgence, just as eating an exorbitant amount of high-calorie foods is.
American pop culture has come a long way in the last few decades: from the rock 'n’ roll boom of the fifties, to the hippie aesthetic of the seventies, to the electronic age of the nineties. Pop culture clearly fluctuates at a rapid pace and even though fads have come and gone, one thing has remained viable even in more contemporary times: the TV set. On top of that, never has the world seen a greater peak in technology than it has in recent years, and the television is no exception. Unfortunately, as fascinating as these advancements may sound, it is generally presumed that the television—as with much modern pop culture tech—has had and continues to have detrimental effects on Western culture. Given that the TV has been a predominant force for the last sixty years, it’s safe to assume that most have heard the pervasive statement of how television "rots your brain.” By contrast, the benefits of this technology are rarely discussed and when the topic does arise, it seems to be hastily dismissed as “phooey.” Despite these labels, some would argue that television pop culture not only provides a form of recreational relaxation, but also has the potential to enhance cognitive capabilities.
Referred to as Generation Z or Generation I due to their heavy exposure and involvement with the internet (Simplicio, 2013). This group was “…born between the years 1994-2004” (Schiffrin et al., 2014) and has never known a world without the internet, Pentium processors, or cell phones. A lifelong reliance on technology may have created a need to be eased into the independence that comes with college, a situation technology cannot prepare them for. As such, perhaps no one knows how to meet the needs of this generation better than its
The teenage brain has an inquisitive nature and constantly demands stimulation. There’s this insatiable need for fascination and to contemplate the complex details of their surroundings. This should be reflected in the entertainment, however, as it stands, the overwhelming majority of teen specific entertainment is mindless and asinine. These mundane shows with varying levels of dullness are not used to instigate critical thinking, but rather to provide designated times for vegetation. A trend of vacuous television that dims cannot be the intent of entertainment; of course, there are certain times for mindless relaxation, but it should not be the norm.
There haven’t been many studies on the habits of college students, which is one reason why Mokhtari decided to study it. The reading skills of Americans are decreasing as each year passes. While I am a very avid user of the internet, and I do watch quite a bit of television, I also spend a fair amount of time reading. An example of Mokhtari’s idea is shown even here; some people also cannot immediately restate what the might have just read, indicating our attention is elsewhere almost constantly. Another finding states that people who spend long amounts of time on the internet spend less time socializing with friends and family members. However there is a contradiction to this, studies have also found that people use the internet to finish tasks quickly and free up time to spend on other activities. This contradiction, or the “displacement hypothesis” may play a part in how the study of college students goes.
To many children, TV can be appealing because they find the colorful cartoons interesting and instantly catches their attention. But, as entertaining and fun Television can be, spending too much time looking at your big fifty inch flat screen TV can eventually impact your life. It seems like if you just spend all your time sitting on the couch, you may find yourself preparing fast meals, such as a ham sandwich thrown with some potato chips on a plate or just driving to buying something from McDonald’s. But this can eventually affect your health. If we give Television too much attention it can also affect relationships with parents, siblings or a partner. It can slowly become an easy addiction to come home to, sit on the couch and spend the rest of the day watching all the shows we like. Lastly, too much Television can affect our mood which can lead to certain thinking and