Watching TV used to be easy. You used to watch the Disney Channel or what else was on cable. Now, students have access to many streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and many others. Instead of being fun, this has caused burnout. People feel overwhelmed by too many shows.
Many high school students spend more time scrolling through options than actually watching. With schoolwork, sports, jobs, and activities, there isn’t much free time. When entire seasons are released at once, students feel pressure to watch quickly so they don’t fall behind or see spoilers. Do students feel pressure to watch certain shows? Junior Claire Foster stated, “To be honest, yes. I see videos on social media and I almost feel behind or that I NEED to watch it.”
Social media makes this worse. TikTok and other apps constantly recommend new “must-watch” shows. This creates FOMO (fear of missing out) and makes watching TV feel stressful, and possibly a chore instead of a relaxing way to end your day.
Because of this, many teens are choosing to watch videos on TikTok or Instagram reels instead of shows. Sophomore Emily Matthews said, “I often get bored or watching TV can seem like a chore. The longest hiatus in 2025 I took was 2 months.” Streaming was meant to make watching TV easier, but for many students, it has done the opposite. With so many choices and so little time, high schoolers are learning that sometimes less is more and to learn to live with the fact they can’t watch everything.
Ellen Rider, Staff Writer
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