Is Netflix Really Killing Chill?
In 11,000 B.C., a woman named Eve picked an apple from the Garden of Eden. She looked at a man named Adam. He looked back at her. And then they had sex.
Chill was born.
In 2000, a man named Reed Hastings tried to sell a DVD mailing service to Blockbuster for $50 million. Blockbuster laughed at him and said no. Hastings went home and turned the service into the hottest name in entertainment.
Netflix was born.
By 2015, humans merged both creations to create Netflix-and-Chill. Netflix-and-Chill festivals popped up across the world. Computer scientists created a Netflix-and-Chill button. The FDA approved Netflix-and-Chill condoms. A Netflix-and-Chill room became available on AirBnB.
In a few short years, Netflix-and-Chill became the greatest man-made creation since the wheel, but scientists are now questioning its value.
A recent study out of Lancaster University revealed that Netflix may actually be killing our sex lives.
The study found that the busiest hour of Internet use is now between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. Peak Internet hours used to occur between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Part of the reason for the shift is that people are increasingly using streaming services like Netflix before falling asleep.
Regardless of Netflix-and-Chill’s pioneers' original intentions, in today’s digital age, if you’re Netflixing, you’re not chilling.
A study found that Millennials are having the least amount of sex of any generation since the 1960s. Another study found that all Americans are having less sex than ever before. Another study found that high school kids are less likely to have sex than high school kids 10 years ago.
Where did all the sex go?
It seems that people today are less likely to engage in any type of risky behavior. People are drinking less. People are driving less. And with the risks of unwanted pregnancies, transmitted diseases, and sexual assault, people are having less sex.
This is also the first time in history where 18–34-year-olds are more likely to live with their parents than a spouse.
The revolution has been dubbed the “Wussification of America.”
We simply don’t engage in risky behavior as much as previous generations, and technology has played a role in that.
About 75% of Americans own a smartphone and 90% of citizens use the Internet. Even though there are digital dating services for everyone from bacon lovers to gluten-free singles, we’re more likely to stay inside and connect with a tech device than go outside and interact with a real person.
The only people having more sex now than 30 years ago are people over the age of 70. They’re also the least likely to use Tinder.
So no, Netflix isn’t solely killing chill, but it’s not really helping.
