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• 1 2016-10-22T07:57:35-07:00 Binge-watching 18 plain 2016-10-30T16:56:13-07:00 Thanks to Netflix, there has arisen a new strain of zombies: the binge-watchers. According to en.oxforddictionaries.com, binge watching means to "watch multiple episodes of (a television program) in rapid succession, typically by means of DVDs or digital streaming." This means that staring blankly at a computer screen or smart TV for hours has become such a popular hobby that the Oxford Dictionary has declared "binge-watching" as an official word. Many Netflix owners partake in this activity because Netflix releases episodes by the season instead of the usual one per week routine like cable. Why go through the suspense of a cliff hanger ending when the next episode is just a click away? 
  
  According to Sydneyeve Matrix's essay "The Netflix Effect: Teens, Binge Watching, and On-Demand Digital Media Trends", the marathon watching that Netflix causes when they release all episodes of a season at one time dismantles social TV viewing practices.

  As a larger share of the TV audience consumes more TV shows via Netflix and other OTT (over-the-top) services, some critics argue that such consumption practices interfere with the cultural unification effects (or “water cooler talk”) that bond people through shared, mass-mediated experiences.
  
  -Sydneyeve Matrix, "The Netflix Effect: Teens, Binge Watching, and On-Demand Media Trends"

  Before Netflix, there was a time when people would discuss each episode one at a time. The day after a new episode of ER aired, everyone at school or work would be chatting about their thoughts, feelings, and predictions of the storyline. Since binge-watching has become so popular now, it is difficult to be at the same point of the season as someone else. This makes discussing the show nearly impossible because of the risk of spoilers. 
  
  Less people talking to each other about the show leads to more of an isolated experience. 
  In this video, Ellen Degeneres jokes about how binge-watching can lead to not seeing your family for three months. Although this is an over exaggeration for comedic purposes, it is a real problem how Netflix can be so isolating. 
  
  
   
• 1 2016-10-30T16:56:53-07:00 Are You Still Watching? 5 plain 2016-11-02T12:32:31-07:00 A mild inconvenience for binge-watchers is the "Are you still watching?" feature that Netflix has maliciously included. This feature pauses the film or show every few hours just in case the person watching has fallen asleep. Now, we all know that the creators of Netflix have incorporated this feature just to help us out. Nobody wants to accidentally sleep through a couple of episodes and wake up dazed and confused about what is happening. However, viewers can't help but feel as if Netflix is judging them.
  It is common to find people using Netflix as an aid to procrastination. Whether it be someone who should be getting their research assignment done, someone who needs to be getting ready for work, or someone who just needs to walk their dog, Netflix can be a temporary escape from daily responsibilities. This can cause the feeling of guilt to settle in while watching. If there isn't already enough pressure from your subconscious asking, "Should I really be watching Netflix right now?", then Netflix will top off the job by demanding to know if you're still watching. This is why some can feel as if Netflix is judging them for watching 6 hours of The Walking Dead. "Are you still watching?" comes off as "Are you really still watching?" Stop being so condescending, Netflix. Let us procrastinate in peace.