Can Netflix become an addiction?

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Everyone uses it. Everyone is obsessed with it. Netflix has become one of the top websites over the past few years. What began as a company that mailed rental DVDs has turned into the guilty pleasure that most students indulge in.

Netflix now is featured in merchandise. Stores sell T-shirts with sayings like “I work out, Just kidding I watch Netflix” or the ever popular “Netflix and Chill.” From this last phrase, it is apparent that this site has also moved from noun to verb. People will now say they were “netflixing” or “netflixed” when referring to watching Netflix.

According to the Huffington Post, Netflix accounts for 34.2 percent of internet traffic in North America during evening hours. As of August 2015, the site serves 60 million subscribers worldwide, with 40 million of those subscribers in the United States. Netflix’s net profit from 2014 was $267 million.

As Netflix continues to grow in both popularity and economic standing, one question remains: Is Netflix an addiction?

This notion may sound silly, but it is actually possible. An addiction is defined as a persistent, compulsive dependence on a behavior or substance. Binge watching every season of Grey’s Anatomy in one week makes Netflix addiction plausible.

Addictive behaviors provide a temporary high of some kind. Watching a television show for five or six hours can give the brain a much-needed break from the challenges from classes and homework. Almost 28 percent of 2015 high school graduates reported that they watched Netflix multiple times throughout the day.

Several signs have arisen to point to Netflix addictive behavior.

  • You find yourself constantly saying “just one more episode,” then you proceed to watch several more.
  • Your whole day is ruined when Netflix can’t load.
  • You feel like it’s Christmas when a new season of a show goes on.
  • You don’t know what to do with yourself when you finish watching a series.

Exhibiting any or all of these behaviors could mean that you have crossed from a Netflix lover to a Netflix addict.