We often try to compare our lives with the characters in the series we are watching. We forget that it’s just the result of the pure imagination of someone else’s mind. Our mind tries to find what is similar to us and the show. It changes our perspective, behavior, thoughts, and lifestyle and the thing is, we are not even aware of those changes.
People justify spending time in front of the television or computer watching series saying that it helps them release stress from a hard day of work. Previously people were forced to watch only one episode per day but due to the advancement in technologies and the coming up of OTT platforms like Netflix, it has become a lot easier for people to complete one whole season in one night.
Netflix and the society
People use it to escape from the reality and live the life they always wanted through that series. The problem of people losing track of time while watching television series is being called the “Netflix Effect.”
In this effect, people find that they can’t just watch one episode and be content. They have this urge to find out what happens next and, due to this, they end up finishing the whole series at once. Due to this, a lot of people have started wondering if this is the best way to release their stress or is it just wasting their time. According to reports, almost everyone is being impacted by this effect.
While binge-watching has some issues and disadvantages, some of these shows have helped people in many ways. Some shows have affected people positively and make them calm and happy in real life. One of such shows is ‘FRIENDS’, available on Netflix.
FRIENDS and the society
Series FRIENDS first aired in 1994. It’s a show that shows the life of six people and how their life changes, their growth, problems and how they dealt with it and how no matter what happened they all stuck together and had each other’s back. Each character had something special about them; it’s a journey of them finding themselves.
One can relate to them as they show the struggle of a normal person in a funny way. From a rich girl leaving her dad’s money and running away from her wedding to start earning and making her career. They portrayed lesbian wedding and love in such a normal way and showed that it’s completely normal to be with someone if you love them no matter how they are. To family problems like your parent’s divorce to body image issues and how you can take people’s comments positively and convert them into your motivation.
Showing that being oneself is what matters even if it means you being weird in front of people. This show taught me how to be confident, how it’s fine if you don’t have a lot of friends until you have that one friend who sticks with you when you are going through rough times. How one should never give up on someone and should continue putting your efforts into getting together with them even if it means waiting for them for years. It shows how letting go of someone you love for their happiness is sometimes a good thing for you. It teaches you the true meaning of the motto One for all and all for one. The theme song tells about their relationship with each other with the line “I’ll be there for you”.