Netflix. The website where you can waste away hours of your life.

In recent years, Netflix has gained popularity among people of all ages. It is easy to become addicted to it, as it offers hundreds of television shows and movies. Although the easy access to top-rated shows and movies is impressive, there is a point at which watching too much can negatively effect one’s daily life.

Second semester has just begun and simple distractions can be costly to students’ work ethics. Many students choose to push their work aside in order to spend time on the internet.

“It has definitely affected me because I spend all day watching [Netflix] and not doing my homework,” Nicholas Viveros (’18) said. “I stay up really late and then get bad grades.”

According to a study by Multimedia Mentor, the average Netflix user watches eight hours of their service per week. Netflix offers a selection of popular shows that are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. An abundance of addictions to these shows has made binge watching the new normal.

Nowadays, teenagers have transitioned from watching live television to watching all of their favorite shows on Netflix. Teenagers are attracted by the website’s unique features.

“You can watch whenever you want to and pause it,” Michael Ryan (’16) said. “You don’t have to wait.”

Later this year, Netflix plans to raise the monthly price of HD streaming from $7.99 to $9.99. Customers who choose to continue paying $7.99 monthly, will be downgraded to SD quality streaming. Marcus Murray (’16) denied that this shift would effect his loyalty to Netflix.

“Some things I can’t find on television, and I can just [watch them] on Netflix,” Murray said.

Netflix-crazed people have valid reasons for their binge watching. Without letting the website get in the way of more important activities, it can be used as an amusing pastime for people of all ages.