Finding someone in Clayton who hasn’t spent an entire day watching television at least once in their life is hard to do, especially when it comes to teenagers. Many come home after a long, tiring day at school, and all they want to do is unwind and rest their brains; in response, they turn to television, which isn’t always a bad thing. An episode or two of your favorite TV show can be the perfect thing when you need to relax. But, as many people know, it can be incredibly addictive.

So called “binge watchers” are people who watch entire seasons of TV shows in a week or less. These people also fall under the category of “Netflix addicts” (though the word “addict” has become largely overused and has lost its meaning). While some only “binge watch” over the summer, or perhaps winter break, others may continue during the school week, staying up late to finish an episode or putting aside their homework and other responsibilities to make time for their favorite hobby.

According to a survey conducted by PR Newswire, about 73 percent of those surveyed claimed binge watching was “watching between two to six episodes of the same TV show in one sitting,” and that this caused them immense pleasure in doing so.

Over the summer, I spent three weeks at Georgia Tech, staying in one of the dorm rooms. My roommate carried her iPad with her almost everywhere, and always had one earbud in. One night, she announced that she had watched 13 45-50 minute episodes that day.

Each night, she’d stay awake much later than I would, her eyes glued to the screen. Despite this, she somehow still remained attentive and focused during her activities during the day, and managed to read about 10 books in just those three weeks.

Many who love to read say that one of the main reasons is that they get to be someone else, and experience that character’s life for a while. Readers often say that reading makes them feel better about their problems and their lives, or that reading is their form of “escape.” However, some have found that television is another way to “escape,” one that is actually easier to cram into a tight schedule.

For this generation, Netflix is especially good at filling that role. In the time that you are watching the plot unfold, you are able to “become” the characters in the story, escaping your own life and problems for that amount of the time, getting the same stress release you might get from reading. But for those with little time to spare, it can be difficult to sit down and start reading, only to have to get up and do something else in 20 minutes. But 20 minutes is a perfect amount of time to watch an episode of an NBC sitcom or a couple of YouTube videos.

Wasting 20 minutes relaxing is not really a waste if you are able to then get up and finish the things that need to get done, such as homework. However, some have trouble with switching mindsets like that, going from relaxing to working, and when the screen flashes “next episode playing in 15 seconds,” they let the next episode start.

When it comes to Netflix and “Netflix addiction,” there really is no “good” or “bad” verdict; some students may benefit from watching television for a short amount of time, while others may find it a distraction and a disadvantage. What is important, however, is to be aware of which category you fall into so you can make sure that whatever your “Netflix” is — whether it be playing sports, drawing, reading, or actually watching Netflix — you do not let it interfere with your life and prevent you from fulfilling your responsibilities.