There’s a ton of research that suggests binge-watching is bad for you. I’m not a doctor, but I got a physical from one once, which qualifies me to reject the prevailing medical research. If you’re wondering whether you should slow down on the screen time, here are reasons why binge-watching could benefit you.
You’ll learn patience.
There’s nothing like remaining still, at peace with the knowledge that you have nine hours’ worth of programming ahead of you. You’re usually anxious to get to the main character having his spiritual breakthrough—but sit tight. That’s not until the fifth episode, so you’ve got four more hours. Thankfully, you can skip the intros, though.
You’ll avoid sunburn.
Binge-watching means you won’t see the sun and, more important, the sun won’t see you. Put that lotion away. You can be as ashy as you want to be indoors—your TV or laptop won’t judge you.
You’ll always be near a bathroom.
When you leave your place, you have to strategically plan when and where you’re going to use the facilities. Getting lost in a show keeps you close to your own bathroom, where you have privacy and don’t have to buy an overpriced latte just to relieve yourself.
You can’t lose your wallet.
Your wallet is safe and sound when you binge-watch. It’s either in the jeans you wore yesterday or you lost it earlier in the week, but you can’t misplace it while you stream your favorite comedy or drama.
You’ll be spending quality time with somebody you don’t hate.
If you don’t hate somebody, you should spend quality time with them. And everyone knows that the best way to spend quality time with a person is by watching stuff on a streaming platform, together. Since you’re watching TV, the two of you won’t talk much, which limits the chances of you suddenly realizing that you hate them.
You won’t run into your ex.
Hunkering down and binge-watching safeguards you against awkwardly running into your ex. You don’t have to worry about dreadful small talk and lying about how great you’re doing in life. Of course, this could take a disastrous turn if your ex happens to guest-star in the show you’re watching. If that’s the case, you’ll just have to fast-forward through their scenes.
You won’t get hit by a car.
Have you ever seen a car inside your apartment? Exactly. A Honda is not climbing up to a fourth-floor walkup. Hell, what with the muscle atrophy from all the binge-watching, you barely can.