College Addiction

Netflix: Is binge streaming the new college addiction?
12/18/2013 by grantziegler
Netflix headquarters in Los Gatos, Calif. Photo courtesy of Associated Press.
By Jodi-Ann Jarrett
Contributing Writer
“My name is _____ and I’m addicted to Netflix.” At first glance, this statement reads like the opening line of a comedy bit, but could it be a serious cause for concern?
Not according to NLC student Stephen Barton, “I’m not addicted to Netflix, I’m addicted to television and entertainment on any type of screen.”
But Barton could be among the many deniers. Type the words “Netflix” and “addiction” into your Internet search engine and you’ll find plenty of people willing to admit they’re addicted to the online streaming service. Although “Netflix
Streaming Syndrome” is not a real disorder—blogger Brian Moylan coined the term on Gizmodo.com — many of its symptoms are true indications of addiction.
In an independent study conducted in various classes at North Lake College, only 1 out of every 20 people were willing to admit the possibility of addiction. However, an alarming majority self-identified with at least two of the common symptoms of addiction described by the American Psychological Association (APA).
These symptoms resemble the dependency stage of addiction which occurs when the “drug” of choice takes precedence over certain areas of an individual’s life. Sixty five percent of students and faculty members admit to sacrificing sleep and temporarily neglecting responsibilities such as completing assignments to watch Netflix shows. Less than one percent admitted to engaging in risky behavior such as streaming videos at work, in class or in traffic.
According to the APA, dependency is followed by tolerance, a stage that forces greater degrees of consumption in order to achieve the same level of satisfaction. Forty five percent of the surveyed individuals admit to binge watching (watching multiple episodes or seasons in one sitting) on more than one occasion.
A company overview found on the Netflix website states that there are more than 37 million subscribers (not including password “borrowers”) in 40 countries enjoying more than “one billion hours of TV shows and movies per month” anytime and anywhere they want. This is one of the problems; instant has proven too powerful to resist. In a world where you no longer have to wait for a trip to the doctor’s office to receive a diagnosis, are cliff hangers simply too much to handle? Netflix affords its users the luxury of forgoing the waiting period. The question is, has this option created a new addiction or facilitated the habits of a pre-existing one?
The effects of under-aged and binge drinking are taken seriously on college campuses, with the questionable behavior involved, should under-aged and binge streaming be, too?
Not necessarily, said journalism and mass communication professor Joanna Cattanach. She teaches an introductory course on mass media and argues that addiction to media is more a question of technology than a psychological disorder.
“Texting, listening to music, playing games on your cell phone, all of these are distractions,” said Cattanach. “On the surface they may seem like an addiction or even feel like one to the student but done in moderation, or even as a reward or incentive for finishing work, I see nothing wrong with Netflix.”
Like Barton, many members of the North Lake family deny the plausibility of an addiction to Netflix, citing that they can stop whenever they want to. When asked to explain any periods of abstention, however, the common answer was not that of exercising control, it was of running out of episodes or things to watch. Denial is another stage of addiction.
“Netflix give(s) people the illusion of control over their addiction,” Barton continued. “I now have the freedom to use my ‘crack’ whenever I want instead of having to wait for the network to mass distribute it at a certain
time.”