It starts innocently enough.  A rainy afternoon, a comfy couch, and “just one episode” of a feel-good series everyone’s talking about. I wrote about it here.

But suddenly—hours vanish, the sun has set, and the only exercise you’ve had is reaching for the remote.

Streaming platforms are designed for this. Episodes roll right into the next one. Recommendations are tailored to your tastes so well that it feels almost rude not to watch. Before long, a day disappears into the glowing screen, and real life is left waiting in the wings.

Winter’s coming. I’ll be indoors a lot more. And I love streaming video. In fact, I wrote an entire post about the joy of streaming escapist content, right HERE.

But streaming can also be a trap.

It’s not that watching is bad—storytelling has always been part of how humans connect and relax. But when “just one more episode” becomes a daily habit (as it is at our house some nights), our brains can get stuck in passive mode. Creativity, social connection, and even physical movement start to shrink.

Life becomes something we observe, not something we live.

The trick is to be intentional. Decide before you start how much you’ll watch. Build in other pleasures—phone a friend, take a walk, read a chapter of a book. Make plans to meet a friend for coffee, lunch, a walk. Talk with loved ones. Play games. Have a video call. Give your mind and body a chance to be a participant instead of a spectator.

Because while great shows can feed our imagination, living our own story will always be more compelling than binging someone else’s.

That’s what I think, anyway. I’ve come to see how easy and seductive it is to withdraw into my screen. And I don’t think it’s good for me.

Your thoughts?