Bye-Bye Televisions!

Like most teenagers, I almost always channel-surfed since the randomness of what I'd find

on the screen provided half the fun. Popular sitcom reruns, crime documentaries, and

movie premieres made the undertaking rewarding but exhausting.

Now, I rarely touch the remote.

Now, I have created a Netflix account.

Now, I binge-watch my favorite TV shows whenever and wherever I want. 

Too many nights, I sit on the couch with family and friends, devouring Pepperidge Farmcookies and Häagen-Dazs ice cream while we watch, among other things, Elevenand friends fighting against Vecna in Stranger Things.

A welcome and refreshing change, I no longer let TV tell me when and what to watch and

reclaim control over the role TV plays in my life. Though unplanned and unexpected, the

shift felt so natural that channel-surfing seems obnoxious and a waste of time. 

Streaming now accounts for 44.8% of all TV usage, and cable and broadcast continue their

decline. That number hit home since I, too, was part of that macroshift to new media outlets.

Instead of monotonous programming, viewers can now decide what, when, and how much

they are entertained through their TV screens.

Indeed, I now have control over what and when I watch on TV. Besides freedom of choice,

it carries greater responsibility over how and how much I can indulge myself with TV.

While I do miss the occasional surprises from channel-surfing, I value the firmer grasp on

how I fashion my days more. Changing the way many watch TV is just the beginning.

It is, in fact, part of a much bigger cultural shift that returns control to individuals.

Sandy is watching Dog Man!!