Title: How to Stop Binge-Watching and Start Living
Author: Frank Degenaar
Major Themes: Habits, Self-Help Books
Synopsis: Ingrained habits are hard to break—but with a little science and a lot of practical tips, Frank Degenaar illustrates how to break free and live a life worth living.
If I were honest, I’d admit that I didn’t really think I needed How to Stop Binge-Watching and Start Living when I first saw it. But since I was given a free copy of the book in exchange for my honest feedback, I thought I’d take a chance—and I’m so glad I did! This book isn’t just for binge-watchers; it’s for anyone with a chronic penchant for following compulsive behaviors (whether it’s media we consume or some other unbreakable habit). I knew, after reading the prologue, that this was going to change my life. It did.
Publisher’s description:
This book is for anyone who knows they’re watching more than they should, and that it’s been holding them back in life. It’s for those who’ve realized that binge-watching has been a sizable hurdle to their happiness.
One of the neatest things about the methods and perspectives in this book, is that none of it requires willpower, or any remarkable sort of discipline. Just an openness to think and to critically engage. I’ll be giving you the thinking and engaging tools, and you’re going to make them yours.
Read this book from beginning to end, and you will not only have gotten your binge-watching under control—but you will also have figured out what it is that you’re going to be doing with all the extra time on your hands. That’s my expectation.
My thoughts:
Here’s what I wrote soon after I read most of this book:
I didn’t know I needed this book, but I did. I never intended to become a binge-watcher. For years, I had a love/hate relationship with movies and other digital content, but when I was introduced to the siren-like appeal of TV shows in my early 20s, I quickly realized this was an entirely new beast with which to contend. For many years, though I tried to curb my watching appetite with promises to myself, nothing cured my addiction to screen media. I lost days of my life—1 or 2 hours at a time, mostly sacrificing sleep—to different video-watching binges.
Then I came across this book, and just reading the prologue turned the light on for me. Though I read it weeks before I tucked into the rest of the book, even that short section gave me clarity, tools, and perspective I hadn’t had before. After years of trying and failing at self-imposed mitigation tactics, Frank plainly laid out where I was—and my perspective changed overnight. I no longer found myself compelled to try to keep up with everything, and the fear of missing out became almost a non-entity in my life.
This is a book my generation needs. I wish all the young people in my life could read it and take in its message—because if they did, the world as we know it would be shaken. Clear-sighted, powerful, insightful, science-based, and deliberately practical, this book has put the puzzle pieces together for me. I’ll never look at media the same way again. This book has literally changed my life!
And now, four months after finishing the book:
I wondered, soon after reading How to Stop Binge-Watching and Start Living, if the principles taught in this book were of a lasting variety. Or if, perhaps, this was just another “band-aid” book, throwing temporary solutions at the surface issues without hitting the core of the problem. Honestly, sometimes I’m still not sure. I still struggle with wanting to start binge-watching again sometimes. But what I am sure about is the thought process that comes on the heels of such urges—thought processes this book helped put in place.
This book is, by definition, practical. Frank says, “Here—this is what the science says. Here’s how this affects you. Here’s how pointless this is,” and so much more. And I can now confidently say, it’s changed my life. I’ve even gotten back into a little writing now, thanks to not having brain fog from staying up late watching TV shows! My desire to watch anything has decreased exponentially, and I’m feeling a lot more balanced and rested these days. And when the urge to watch something does come, it’s a lot easier to talk myself out of it now than it ever used to be…because I now have science and serious thought (and knowledge of consequences) underpinning those decisions.
If you are able to get a copy of this book for yourself (as of this writing, it’s only available as a shared Workflowy eBook), I’d highly recommend you read it. Though the main focus is on binge-watching, it flows over into so many other areas of life (and, in doing so, applies to many of the temptations we have in life to take our eyes off the Lord!). I’m grateful I had the chance to read it and expect it will continue to be a helpful tool in the future.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.
WARNING: Energy Levels and Stress: heck. What Makes Us Tick: heck. Watching: A Faint Echo: heckuva. Values of Being: The Real Living: Some talk about how watching more TV dramatically cuts down on romantic/sex life, a quote about sperm count being affected by TV watching. Ten Life Questions: Rewards & Consequences: darn.
Age levels:
Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults
Links to buy this book:
Productivity Mashup: Workflowy eBook
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