Goodbye Netflix

I have a confession. I have a problem. And the problem’s name is Netflix.

I am very grateful for the childhood that I had. I spent time running through the woods with my dog and riding my bike all over the place. I had a dress up box full of handmade costumes and a dad who loved to build treehouses. It was a good life. And for the most part, it was devoid of a lot of screen time. Aside from the occasional episode of Recess after I finished all of my homework, I was not allowed much time at all in front of the television. My parents got rid of texting on all of our phones when I was in high school. The first few times my parents offered to buy me a smartphone, I said no. Even my freshman and sophomore year of college when cable was included in my housing costs, I didn’t own a TV. I actually don’t own one now either. 

If you spend any time with kids today you will probably see them looking at some sort of screen whether its an iPhone, iPod, Kindle or whatever. And I don’t blame or judge parents at all. I work with kids and there is something beautiful about turning a movie on and watching hyper little energy monsters become calm and quiet. But like many people in my generation, I have been sucked into a culture of screens and media and streaming and a constant flow of noise and distraction. 

It wasn’t really a problem at first. And truthfully, I don’t think that my social media or Netflix usage is inhibiting me from living a productive and full life. I still pay my bills and clean my apartment and get exercise and go to work on time and spend time with people I love. But it has become my coping mechanism and my outlet and sometimes, my companion. And I don’t like it. 

I don’t like realizing that multiple episodes have gone by and I’m still on the couch. Or hours that I could have been resting have been spent watching fake people live fake lives that seem better than mine. It has become a part of my life that I don’t like. And that I am not proud of. 

This has definitely been a slow building issue and it does seem to be seasonal. When depression rears its ugly head up in my life (we’ll talk about that later) it is usually the first warning sign. I find myself running to it during rough seasons when I just don’t want to deal. I have gone to it to escape because sometimes it is easier than actually looking at what is going on in my own heart. There are a lot of factors. My stressful job. Being alone. The weeks I spent not working or driving after my car accident. The late nights preparing for my overnight shifts. 

This last year, I have learned to rest in very important and needed ways and I’m grateful for that. Rest is so important. But I can rest without Netflix. I can commune with people without Facebook and I can cherish memories without posting them on Instagram. 

I am not addicted to Netflix or any media form. I have no problem turning it off. I frequently go without my phone altogether. It has not destroyed my life or my relationships. I deactivated my Facebook account last summer and didn’t even miss it (I shamelessly activated it again to share my blogpost). But the truth is, I don’t want spend my hours watching someone else live their life. I don’t want comparison slowly chip away at my soul as I scroll through edited photos of the other people’s highlights. I want to live and live well and full. I want to have adventures, big ones. I want to learn new things. I want to work hard and make a difference. I want to grow closer to Jesus every day. I want to love people around me better. And I can’t do any of those things when I spend my free time letting episode after episode play on my computer screen. 

I have been trying for the last few months to reduce my media usage. I am honestly not sure how successful I have been. Like I said, I can go days without my phone and be very satisfied. I started only watching Netflix if I was also doing squats and pushups and jumping jacks. But I am seeking a lifestyle change and sometimes you gotta make big steps and ask the internet to keep you accountable for habits to break so that’s what I’m doing. 

I make no judgement on anyone that watches TV or spends time on social media. Netflix, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, those aren’t the problem. They aren’t bad things. Turning them into my coping mechanisms and their usage into habit, that is the problem. So I’m challenging myself and anyone that wants to join me (believe me, I’m not expecting anyone to) to a purge of Netflix, or Facebook, or media altogether, whatever it is. I know you’re supposed to put a time frame on stuff like this but I don’t have one, this is a lifestyle thing. 

So please keep your eyes out for my #insteadofNetflix adventures (on social media, how ironic I know) as I celebrate this full life and world that I have been blessed to live. I’ve never done this before and I’ll probably make mistakes but I promise to do my best and be honest and real on this journey. Feel free to ask me questions and ask for prayer or encouragement or to invite me on your adventures because I’m about to have a lot more free time on my hands ;)