Netflix and Its Harmful Effects on Students These Days

The way people are spending their free time has dramatically changed in recent years. They no longer watch just one episode of their favorite show every week. Instead, they spend the weekend watching the whole season. People are turning themselves into binge-watchers and completely get distracted from their routine tasks. Some of them stop caring about their households, while others ignore their studies. 

 

Students did, however, find a small loophole. They order their papers online from reliable do my papers services to deal with their homework. But the adverse effects affecting their academic and personal lives are still extensive. You can find out more about essay writing services by viewing essay service reviews online.

 

The reasons for Netflix binge-watching

People find various justifications for spending the whole night in front of the screens. A lot of them become victims of the series as they want to relieve stress from a hard day. Shows help them relax and slow down for the night. If you check different academic essays on Netflix company, you’ll notice that most of them state escape from reality as the main reason for watching Netflix at night. Unfortunately, by doing this, people tend to lose track of time, which is commonly called the “Netflix Effect.”

The consequences of watching Netflix excessively 

Binge-watching results in serious negative effects on students’ lives. Take a look at them below.

No interest in other activities 

Young people who have quick access to Netflix often prefer it to other types of activity. Once they get absorbed by a certain show, they want to watch the whole season as soon as possible. This makes students neglect anything else, including social connections and study responsibilities. They are not willing to make even the smallest efforts to get out of their comfort zone, so they keep staying at home in front of their screens. Surprisingly enough, such a monotonous routine doesn’t seem boring to Netflix lovers. 

Bad academic outcomes 

For sure, binge-watching affects student academic growth. It typically interferes with following a tight college schedule, so young people don’t keep up with their studies. They often forget to complete their assignments on time, skip classes, and neglect exam preparation. Naturally, it’s impossible to meet project deadlines if the only thing you think about is finishing another season of an exciting show. In this case, motivation to study drops dramatically, and nothing can restore it until one stops watching Netflix. As a result, assessment scores become lower, and the risk of being expelled increases. 

Getting addicted 

Can you imagine that watching your favorite shows can produce a real ‘high‘? Mental health experts say that when you are engaged in an enjoyable activity, your brain produces dopamine, which is a chemical that promotes feelings of pleasure and happiness similar to those induced by drugs and other substances. Therefore, you start striving for the activity that caused your excitement. That’s how addictive behaviors develop. Eventually, you may find yourself continually increasing the time you spend on Netflix. 

Sleep issues 

Healthcare experts say that watching TV too much can cause insomnia. According to some research, movies may excite your brain activity, which interferes with falling asleep. The statistics show that most of the students that watch Netflix at odd hours suffer from insomnia, resulting in general exhaustion and poor cognitive functioning. Unfortunately, successful studying is impossible without good sleep. So if you don’t want to fall behind in class, think twice about whether you should watch another episode before going to bed. And note that if you disrupt your sleep regimen, there is no guarantee that you’ll get it back soon. 

Mental health problems 

Psychologists state that watching Netflix excessively can trigger the occurrence of some mental diseases. According to the studies, people who watch TV a lot tend to suffer from anxiety and depression. Note that these are very serious mental health issues that must be treated by a specialist. If you notice any symptoms of them, you should immediately see a doctor. The signs of mental health issues might include anger outbursts, high irritability, bad memory, headaches or migraines, the feeling of loneliness, overthinking, and struggle to focus.  If you have more than two symptoms listed above, it’s necessary to consult a doctor. 

Social isolation 

Binge-watching disconnects students from society. This means that they don’t seek real-life meetings and stop enjoying the company of other people. They don’t feel the need to build relationships since they find Netflix more exciting than spending time with friends. As a result, communication skills remain undeveloped. The inability to be an active member of a community leads to social deprivation. In its turn, it may also result in mental health issues. Since people are social creatures, this situation is very unnatural so it may significantly disrupt psychological well-being. 

Some other effects 

Alongside the psychological and social consequences of binge-watching, there are some physical problems that might be caused by Netflix. Sitting in front of the TV all night long shrinks your lung capacity by nearly 30%, which results in a lack of oxygen coming to the body. A sedentary lifestyle and poor posture also cause back problems because the spine gets unnaturally curved and weak. Besides, students often become overweight if they eat junk food while watching shows on Netflix.

Managing the impact of TV and media 

To avoid the negative consequences of binge-watching, students should stick to some recommendations. For example, they need to set a certain limit for the number of episodes they watch per day or for the amount of time they spend on the web per night. Otherwise, there is a risk to waste the whole evening doing something meaningless. Besides, if you decide to read more in students’ essay samples about the impact of media and TV, you will see that they often make people isolated. Hence, students should try to make watching series a social thing by sharing this experience with someone. It’s also important to balance watching Netflix with other activities like physical exercise, friends meetings so that its influence won’t be so negative.

Final thoughts 

Netflix has become something that impacts many life areas, and studying is no exception. Unfortunately, this doesn’t lead to any positive consequences since watching a series just robs students of valuable time that they will never get back. Although Netflix might be a good temporary stress reliever, it becomes harmful in the long run. The biggest challenge of watching movies is to do it moderately and avoid binging. Hopefully, this article helped you realize how dangerous Netflix might be. 

Author’s BIO
Stella Gary is an academic writer and researcher. As a writer, she helps students complete college projects and assignments so they can keep up with the studies. Stella also researches the effects of regular TV watching on learning efficiency.