TV and Netflix are great ways to relax, but do they interfere with schoolwork?
Read the history or watch the new episode of Narcos? Preterite verbs or Stranger Things? There’s nothing better than crawling under the covers and binge-watching a show for a few hours after a long day of school, but where do we draw the line? How much does this impact our performance in school?
Opening up Netflix can be a great way to unwind after a long day. “Sometimes I’ll get home and watch an episode before I do homework,” junior Stella Biehl said. It’s easy to think that after an eight hour day, we all deserve at least a little break from work.
On the other hand, junior Sydney Graham limits her TV consumption. “I rarely watch TV and it only happens when we don’t have school the next day,” she said. “I usually get home around seven p.m. and then I dive straight into my homework until it’s time for me to go to bed.” Students like Graham find themselves too busy to waste an hour or two in front of a TV when they have to do homework and then get enough sleep.
Other students say they’re most effective when they use TV or Netflix as a reward for getting their homework done. “I usually don’t have enough time to sit down and watch TV during the week,” sophomore Zach Harvey said. “But sometimes when I finish my homework early I watch an episode or two because I feel like I’ve earned it.”
Biehl agreed that using TV or Netflix as an exterior motive to get homework done can be effective. “I find that if I can get all my work done, it allows me to fully relax and watch TV knowing that I won’t have to take a break later,” she said.
While the amount of time people spend watching TV can vary, there is a consensus that it can be distracting. The idea of multitasking is a dangerous one. Graham believes that homework and entertainment have their own places, and shouldn’t be mixed. “I’ll start listening to what the TV is saying and not even know what I’m reading anymore,” she said.
Harvey agrees, “I don’t think anyone should try to watch TV and study at the same time,” he said.”There’s a time and place for both, and it’s really easy to lose your train of thought when pulled away.”
Not only does trying to do both distract, but it can add to the amount of time we spend working each night. “It can take up to 15 minutes to regain your focus after being distracted” Graham said.
Watching TV or Netflix can be a great way to unwind after a long day. But discipline is key. And with homework and schoolwork being online, it’s almost too easy to open up a new tab.
By Mahir Piyarali