Many of us collegiettes have a love-hate relationship with Netflix. Once you start, it's nearly impossible to stop. If you've ever been sucked into a show (or two... or three), then you'll recognize these five classic stages of TV-show binge watching.
Stage 1: Curiosity
You decide to have a quiet night in and start a new show on Netflix. You'll just watch a couple of episodes of House of Cards to see what all the fuss is about. It can't be that good, right?
Stage 2: Bargaining
Suddenly it's 3 a.m., and you're six episodes into the season. You tell yourself that you'll just watch one more episode; you can always study in the morning! Yet the "play next episode" button now has a strange power over you. Nothing is more important than what happens after the season finale cliff-hanger. Nothing.
Stage 3: Isolation
You vaguely realize that you haven't moved from your bed in three days, except to pay the pizza delivery guy, and that you're still wearing the same pair of sweatpants as when you started. You cancel plans with friends and make excuses to stay home, because frankly, you'd rather power through an entire season while eating cookie dough with a spoon. How can you be expected to go to class when there are new episodes to be watched?
Stage 4: Acceptance
Your room is strewn with empty pizza boxes, you can't remember the last time you showered and you look more like a blob than a human, but you're okay with it. This is who you are now. The show has become both your best friend and soul mate, and you've accepted that.
Stage 5: Withdrawal
When you realize that you just watched the last episode of the series, you feel a profound sense of loss. You spend a few days in a state of emotional despair as you mourn the fictional characters whose lives you cared about more than your own. You start to seriously question whether you'll ever be happy again.
But then you find a new show to watch.
And against your better judgment, you start the cycle all over again.
