The glazed look, the remote locked into an upright position, the periodic sighing—if you’re experiencing these symptoms, you’re probably infinitely scrolling Netflix or Hulu. With a few tricks and behavioral changes, you can finally pick something and enjoy it.
4
I Actually Use My Watch List
I know it sounds crazy, but don’t forget what your watch list is for! I had dozens of movies and TV shows added to my list and now I’ve gotten through half of them. It’s daunting, yes, but there are ways to tackle your watch list and it ultimately starts with finding something to watch.
My advice: find someone to join you, especially if they have similar tastes. That’ll help jumpstart the process if both of you are interested in the same movies and shows.
3
Avoid Binging at All Costs
Why stop when the going gets good? Shouldn’t you keep watching if you finally found something good? If it’s a show, no. Binging leads to burnout and burnout leads to infinite scrolling, time and time again.
You want those shows and movies to feel like a carrot on a stick, not a buffet. If you’re thinking, “Oh, I can’t wait to watch that show again”—that’s good! That’ll help you avoid infinitely scrolling if you already have a goal in mind. And personally, my anti-binging stance has led me to enjoy shows even more.
In addition to utilizing your watch list, you can scratch that itch for scrolling by setting time aside to be mindless. However, you have to keep it brief and set a timer for it—no more than 15 minutes. It would also be advantageous to game the algorithm a little.
Streaming services like Netflix will suggest movies and shows based on what you’ve already watched. If you’re sharing a single profile with your partner or kids, it can muddy the pool. Keep everything nice and separate.
1
Never Give Reviews Your Time; Just Watch
Reviews are fine for getting the feel of a product, but for movies and shows? I can count on one hand the number of reviewers I trust to give an honest take. I prefer to check something out myself, knowing full well I might not like it.
Frankly, the time you spend reading spoiler-free reviews could be spent giving that movie or show a watch yourself. Not to mention, said reviews can negatively impact your expectations and opinion before you’ve given it a shot.
While you’re doing all this, keep in mind that infinite scrolling keeps you from actually enjoying your rest time. Remind yourself of this over and over, every time you catch yourself scrolling. Your symptoms will clear over time.
