It turns out the literal meaning of “Netflix and chill” is a surprisingly accurate description of the millennial generation. Consumer research data revealed that this generation spends a lot more time on the couch watching television than older generations.
The study by Taylor Nelson Sofres found that, on average, millennials stream 2.7 hours of TV per day — an hour more than Gen X. Additionally, the average millennial spends a little over 3 hours a day on their mobile devices (almost one whole day every week!) compared with Gen X’s 1.7 hours.
Research shows millennials are drinking less alcohol, and trading weekends spent out at restaurants and bars for ordering in and getting cozy on the couch with the cast of “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Going out to meet people has become less crucial as the dating scene has moved online. Less than five years ago, the creators of Match.com launched the Tinder app, which currently boasts 9.6 million daily active users. Jumping off of its success came Hinge, Bumble, Grindr, Zoosk, Coffee Meets Bagel, and dozens more, including a number of highly specific niche dating apps to help narrow down your options based on proximity, special interests, race, and religion.
Oftentimes, not even the prospect of going out to meet friends is enough to get millennials out of the house, since they’re always connected to friends through text messaging, email, and a plethora of social media platforms.
In fact, it is now easier to shop, order food, connect with friends, and stream entertainment online than ever before, leaving fewer and fewer reasons to go out.
As the New York Post pointed out, the tendency for millennials to avoid real-life human interaction, coupled with a huge amount of media consumption probably isn’t so great for mental health.
“[Millennials are] not consuming alcohol, but they’re consuming a lot of media — and it’s depressing them,” Manhattan clinical psychologist Dr. Michael Brustein told the Post. “I can’t tell you how often I hear [patients] say, ‘I did nothing this weekend and I feel terrible.’”
