Are You Normal Or Do You Refuse To Eat Until You've Found What To Watch?
Your stomach is growling, but you can't decide if you're in the mood for comedy or true crime.
Imagine you're at home, maybe you skipped lunch because work was so busy, but you've finally clocked out and it's time for dinner. You've got a plate of piping hot food right in front of you ready to be scarfed down. You turn on the TV to find something to watch while you enjoy your meal, and then... bam! It's 30 minutes later, you're still scrolling through Netflix, and you haven't taken a single bite.
When we were kids, our moms would tells us to drop what we're doing and come eat dinner before our food got cold. Now as adults, we just let our dinner freeze as we please because of choice paralysis.
Some might argue that this is just evidence of an attachment to screens. "Back in my day people would sit down to a meal together and have a conversation instead of staring at their phones or looking at the Hulu." They might be right, but even if they are, what about when you dine at home alone?
The joy of watching TV while you eat
There's just a certain comfort and satisfaction that comes with that first bite of food as I hit play on a new episode of a show or start a movie I've been wanting to watch. Sure, I'll most likely finish the meal within the first 15 minutes of watching, but that's my time to enjoy. Is it my fault that between Hulu, Netflix, Disney+, PrimeVideo, Peacock, and all the rest of the streaming services I have trouble deciding what kind of viewing mood I'm in? I don't think this about an attachment to screens, I think this is about a dedication to self care. Those first few bites combined with the exact right entertainment are a kind of peace some of us crave after a long day.
And think about the success of sports bars. These are establishments where people come together for a meal AND to watch something specific on a screen. The only difference in that situation is that people already know what they're going to watch, so the meal can be timed out easily. Other than that, people perfectly timing their plate of wings to watch the game are just as weird as me sitting at home scrolling until I find the perfect movie to accompany my mac and cheese.
So, are you normal or do you refuse to eat until you've found something to watch? Let us know in the comments.