It’s funny to think that Netflix was basically unheard of just a few years ago and now it’s a millennial obsession. The only thing we love more than Netflix is talking about the shows we’re currently obsessing over. From the gritty prison drama Orange Is The New Black to the girl power heavy Jessica Jones, the possibilities are endless, and we never have to go without an amazing show. If you’re in a committed relationship, things can get a lot more complicated. We’ve all heard the popular term “Netflix and chill” (code for hooking-up) – so what does that mean for serious couples? It turns out that everyone’s favorite past time can actually be a good thing for the love of your life. The couple that binge-watches together stays together, as they say (okay, no one said that but they should). Here are 11 ways Netflix can help your relationship.
11 You will Actually Spend Time Together
You haven’t seen your BFF in weeks and she claims she’s so swamped with work she can’t get together for drinks this weekend… then you read her tweet that she’s obsessing over Aziz Ansari’s Netflix sitcom, Master Of None. It’s interesting how we talk constantly about how busy we all are, yet we seem to find time to watch Netflix whenever we get the chance. If you can watch a series with your boyfriend, the two of you will actually spend time together since you can’t go a single day without your addiction (your TV, but hopefully each other too).
10 You will Feel Closer
Since we all have to work for a living, we can’t spend 100 percent of our time with our significant others, no matter how much we may want to. If you watch Netflix with your BF, you’ll feel a million times closer to each other. You can cuddle, which is a bonus – research shows that if you and your partner cuddle on a regular basis, you’ll not only have a strong bond but will be in a much better mood. You can also talk about the show you’re watching together, and will feel good that you two have something in common.
9 You won’t Neglect Your Partner During Your Binge
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Let’s face facts: there’s so much Netflix, so little time. If you want to keep your relationship strong, you have to choose between finally catching up on Breaking Bad and hanging out with the guy you love. It’s a pretty tough decision, and no matter how awesome your guy is, he might not win. Thankfully, if you watch the show together, you won’t ignore him and your love will live another day. There’s nothing worse than fighting with someone because you’re asking for alone time, and you won’t have to worry about any petty arguments.
8 You will Have a Shared Experience
We can’t share everything with our boyfriend and we do have a life outside of them. We go to work every day, we hang out with our friends, we have some secrets that we’d rather not spill. But if you binge-watch a Netflix show together, you’ll have a shared experience. The next time someone brings up everyone’s latest TV obsession, you’ll be able to boost that you and your boyfriend watched the entire season in the span of two days (totally normal). You’ll feel like the two of you actually experienced something together… even if you never left your apartment.
7 You won’t Fight About Friday Night Plans
Irish pub or Italian restaurant. Take-out pizza or Chinese. Movie or concert. Go out or stay in. There’s nothing worse than bickering with your partner over what to do on the weekend. You’re exhausted from a killer week and you know you’d rather just stay on the couch anyway. So go ahead, give in and make weekend nights all about Netflix with your boyfriend. You’ll never argue about what to do ever again (but you might have other fights – can’t help you there). Won’t it be awesome to never hear him say “I don’t know, what do you want to do?"
6 You will Always Have Good Conversations
While first date conversations can be totally electric – you’re just getting to know each other, you’re figuring out each other’s personalities, and there’s just so much to talk about – by the time you’re in a relationship, the conversation can get pretty dry. You just know each other too well by this point and you run out of things to say. Luckily there’s Netflix, the savior of boring conversations. If you two binge, you can discuss plot points and the quality of the writing and acting. You’ll always have something to talk about and any awkward silence will be long gone.
5 You will Laugh More
A sense of humor is basically the most attractive quality that a guy can have. If you and your partner don’t laugh on a regular basis, you’re seriously missing out on the fun part of being in a relationship – having someone there to share how crazy and silly life can sometimes be. If you and your boyfriend watch a sitcom – Friends is always a good idea – then that will do wonders for your bond. Laughter is an important part of a healthy relationship, and there’s tons of research out there to back it up. For one thing, you’ll feel more bonded. Sounds like a great way to spend a Saturday night.
4 You can Fake Moving in Together
Today’s twentysomethings are getting married much later or not at all. You may or may not be ready to tie the knot anytime soon. You and your boyfriend might not even live together yet. If that’s the case, if you watch Netflix together, you’ll get a glimpse of what it would be like to shack up. Since a binge is hours upon hours, you’ll be spending a whole lot of time together at one another’s apartments. You’ll see their habits up close and personal and can see how you two get along in closed quarters.
3 You’re Creating Memories
Hilarious things happen when you binge-watch with someone else. One of you laughs at moments that are really not all that funny. You both eat more junk food than you think would be possible. You end up chatting about all sorts of things not related to TV at all, and you ultimately create the best kinds of memories – those that are totally unexpected but are real. You’re proving that it’s okay to hang out in a low-key, casual setting together and that romance doesn’t have to mean candlelit dinners and red roses.
2 You won’t Fight Over Spoilers
Ah, spoilers. They’re the bane of every binge-watcher’s existence and enough to completely destroy a friendship or relationship. If you accidentally tell your BFF how last season of Orange ended and she hasn’t finished yet, she’s going to want to kill you. That’s how strongly people feel about not getting unfairly spoiled. If you and your boyfriend binge a certain series together, you won’t have to worry about ruining it for each other. It’s always good when you can get rid of any unnecessary tension in your relationship. Just make sure you don’t start arguing over which show to binge next.
1 You’ll Have fun
Ultimately, the reason why we love a good Netflix binge is because it’s so much fun. We enjoy getting super involved in the lives and problems of fictional people and we love analyzing story lines and trying to guess what amazing thing is going to happen next. Since watching TV can be a pretty solitary, isolated experience, making Netflix binges a regular part of your relationship can also cut down on the amount of time that you spend away from each other. Who doesn’t want to have more fun with the person they love?
Sources: www.mic.com, www.time.com, http://www.telegraph.co.uk
