In the age of streaming services like Netflix and Hulu allow people to have all the hottest shows at their fingertips, binge-watching has become common practice. 

People spend hours every day watching tv shows and movie without stopping. Despite its appeal, it may not be the best thing in regards to one’s health. 

According to The Washington Post, the incessant binge-watching is causing people to make unhealthy choices. 

People are starting to choose to watch tv and eat unhealthy foods instead of going to exercise or getting a full eight hours of sleep. 

It’s becoming very difficult for people to stop watching once they start. 

“It’s like watching a soccer or a basketball game, you can’t stop halfway through and consider it done, you have to stay and wait for the end,” says ILS junior Pablo Amat. 

A greater issue is, people aren’t just waiting for the end of a 45-minute long episode. People are starting to become so addicted to these shows that they can’t stop watching until they finish completely. 

That means watching an entire season, or the whole show, in a day. Most shows are between 30 to 45 minutes and seasons can be anywhere between six to 24 episodes, but they could include more. 

Binge-watching can make people feel lethargic, tired, and unmotivated to do anything other than sit and watch TV. 

“While I binge watch I feel a little tired but I’m too obsessed with the show, so I keep going,” said junior Ana Marrero. “I become so obsessed that I don’t realize I how long I’ve been watching for.” 

The addiction to watching at times becomes so strong people don’t realize just how badly they are being affected by it. 

The Washington Post also stated that, “according to several experts, binge-watching can affect your cardiovascular system, your vision, your socialization and your sleep patterns — all of which can lead to other problems.”

This presents a great concern for what might happen as a result of binge-watching in the future. While sometimes it’s necessary to just stay home and watch a few episodes of your favorite show, it’s being taken to a whole other level. 

Just as people are beginning to decide to choose Netflix over a workout, people are also choosing to stay home and binge watch instead of going out with their friends or family. 

People are using it as their escape from reality, which would be fine if it were used occasionally and if it weren’t that they were spending many consecutive hours motionlessly staring at a screen. Many people do this every single day.

Binge-watching is fun every once in a while and can be a nice escape when things get stressful, but make sure to do it in moderation and stand up and walk around every couple episodes. 

Don’t let it become all-consuming because the consequences will not be worth the action.