POSITIVE EFFECTS

Do you enjoy spending $12-$17 on a movie just to see it in theaters? I know I sure don’t. What about staying up later than you wanted to just to catch up on your favorite television show?

Many students have taken to online websites to watch movies and television shows, either by paying for them, watching them for free or downloading them illegally.

The most popular movie-watching site is Netflix, charging users $5-$8 a month to watch an unlimited amount of movies and shows. Look at that, already cheaper than one trip to the movie theaters. Not to mention you didn’t even have to leave your house.

“[Netflix] is definitely worth paying for; it’s fast and the shows never buffer,” senior Julia Copenhaver said. “They have most of my TV shows and I like how it eventually learns what kind of movies and shows you like based on what you’ve previously watched.”

If you’re not interested in waiting up for your show, you can always catch them on network’s site. ABC, ABC Family, PBS, The CW and MTV put up their latest show the day after it premieres.

These online availabilities make it much easier to get the proper amount of sleep, and makes it easier for high school students to fit entertainment into their schedules.

Instead of draining yourself to stay awake for your show, you can spend time during your day or weekends to catch up on the show.

“I always watch Law & Order: SVU online,” freshman Amanda Adenan said. “They’re on late at night and I’m normally doing homework, at a school event or already in bed. It’s so much easier to have them [the shows] available when I want them.”

Another perk of online movies is the calm atmosphere you will be in while watching. Instead of dressing to go out in public, you can stay in your pajamas and be comfortable in your own bed.

“It just makes it so much easier,” Copenhaver said.

You can also take your own intermissions with the shows and movies since you are able to pause them.

Studies have shown that the ticket sales in theaters have taken a plunge by over 20 percent due to all the legal and illegal movie-watching websites.

Illegal websites are a common place to watch newly released movies, such as SockShare, 1channel.ch, zmovie.com and more.

These sites offer movies that could have been released in theaters the day before. The quality isn’t always great, and the sites are flooded with viruses, but that doesn’t stop students.

“Even though it’s illegal, I still use it. It’s so easy and literally has every movie you could possibly think of,” senior Tessa Iglesias said. “The longer the movie has been out in theaters, the uploads come in better quality. It’s always there when I want to watch a movie and it’s free!”

NEGATIVE EFFECTS

Netflix allows access to thousands of your favorite shows and movies at the click of a mouse, which to many students sounds like a great idea. But many students are starting to realize it is just the opposite.

Netflix is known for its convenience and price, but with the growing popularity and easy access of Netflix, so are the problems that come along with having everything at your fingertips.

The problem with the availability of Netflix and other online movie-watching websites is that students who use this service will use it when they should be doing their schoolwork instead of being online. They not only watch one show or movie, but instead feel the need to finish a season or series, and eventually becoming addicted to the service.

“Once I start watching a show, I can’t stop until I finish the series, and I don’t get my schoolwork done,” junior Kassandra Iriarte said.

Netflix can also affect students’ health. Many students spend hours online watching their favorite shows, and don’t go to sleep when they should. They stay up late finishing whatever they are watching, then they finally go to sleep.

Studies show that teenagers spend up to seven hours a day online, when they should only be spending two hours at most. By watching multiple 30 minute television shows, time adds up quickly.

“I spend at least four hours a day on Netflix, and sometimes it can affect my sleep,” freshman Sam Waseem said.

The problem with students staying up late is that they are tired when they wake up, and unready to learn during the seven hour school day.

Studies also show that high school teenagers need eight hours of sleep, at minimum. Students who stay up late watching movies will not get their necessary amount of sleep needed, and perform at a lower in the classroom and on tests.

Netflix does not have any real advantages, because many people do not go to the movies more than once every couple of months, which costs about $12 per person, and is cheaper than the $16 you would pay for having two month’s worth of Netflix.

The television shows that are on the website are old and outdated, and many people do not care about those shows. Many would just prefer to watch their shows on larger televisions through their DVR or ‘On Demand’ channel.

“[Netflix] never updates their shows. I’ve watched almost all the shows on there already,” Iriarte said.

While the popularity of Netflix is growing, so are the number of reasons Netflix can be a problem to students’ health and academics.

Even though the service is convenient, there is not a real need to have online availabilities wherever you go.