My brother recently purchased a Netflix account that comes with four user profiles, so he let me set one up. Hooray, I have Netflix! Let’s see, I’ll watch…
-nuthin.
Nothing at all that piques my interest? When young I loved watching television. I’m worried this is a sign of depression.
What do you fill your days/free time with in lieu of TV? If your day is pretty full, you don’t have time to be depressed.
I find that I have aged out of the demographics that people make movies for. Last year we went out to see three films in the theater (Hidden Figures, Dunkirk, and The Greatest Showman).
We have dropped both Netflix and Hulu. Turner Classic Movies is on our on demand cable as well as a few classic stations. I watch local news and old stuff.
I’d hardly say it is a sign of depression.
Netflix is strongly pushing their original content. For me, I just don’t have the time to devote to a new show. I can devote a couple of hours to a movie, but have no desire to binge watch a new show for hours upon in, even when I’m stuck inside during winter.
The streaming movie selection isn’t the best. Usually there’s about 5 movies of recent release that I’d like to see and 5-10 from the past that I’d either like to see or wouldn’t mind seeing again. So, that’s not great compare to the excellent selection they used to have on DVD by mail.
I keep my subscription but it certainly gets more use in winter.
I think just the opposite. If all u do is come home from work and watch television or video games, that’s a sure sign of depression.
That wasn’t meant to be flippant. When I was young I watched way too much TV and that could have been taken as a sign of depression. We have Netflix; doesn’t get used much. Hulu is mostly my wife watching current shows.
DrFidelius summed it up pretty well.
Come here, dogs–Play, play, play, :gruff:!
It’s possible, but whether I’d be concerned would have more to do with the overall picture, how recently you enjoyed movies/TV, etc. If it’s been a long time since you enjoyed sitting down to watch stuff, but your time has been spent happily pursuing other hobbies, I’d chalk it up to your interests changing as you aged. No big deal.
Also Netflix’s streaming selection is very hit or miss.
A sign that my depression is sliding into a valley is a relatively sudden loss of interest in things I normally enjoy. I generally do enjoy watching movies, playing games, going for walks, and drawing, but in my worse periods it’s all just… meh. I’ll end up endlessly browsing my movie/game libraries and literally nothing sounds interesting, then things start to get better at some point and my interest returns. It’s a very different feeling than my interests gradually changing over time.
Another thing I thought about: When I was younger, from late high school until about 25 or so, movie and tv nights with friends were a common way to get together without spending a ton of money. A case of cheap beer, order pizza or chinese, and then watch movies or tv. Otherwise, I still had student ID which used to get a good discount at the AMC theatre. Sure, concessions were expensive as they still are, but splitting a extra large popcorn among a couple of people didn’t break the bank. So, perhaps you remember enjoying movies and tv more when you were younger because it was an inexpensive way to hang out.
As I got older and moved into jobs that paid more and people started marrying or partnering off, those nights became rarer. While I’ll still occasionally go to the movies, I’m lucky enough to have a job that also allows me to go to musicals or the symphony as well as travel.
While it may be a symptom of depression, I wouldn’t go the that conclusion first. I’ve been through several periods where nothing really interested me. I also have the same experience with books and computer games. Sometimes overlapping, sometimes not.
Do be aware of any other symptoms you might be experiencing though.
Is it abnormal to have lost all interest in TV and movies?
I have a TV, but I haven’t wasted the coat hanger wire to make an antenna … it’s been about five years since I used my DVD player, and it didn’t work when I did … yeah I’ve lost interest, do I seem abnormal to you? …
Are you this guy?
I think it’s most likely an embarrassment of riches which overwhelms your senses and your decision-making processes. Think of a woman with a closet overflowing with clothes and shoes, who says: “I don’t have a thing to wear!”
Hell no … Bruins vs. Blackhawks on NBC this Sunday … for free !!! …
I have a TV on in my house in whatever room I am in. I have 4. Now, I rarely have sound up unless it’s a show I’m following ( there are 3).
But CNN or TCM is on even if I am not listening. Everyone is different. After the election in November I turned it off til NewYears eve. Mr.Wrekker only watches sports. I shouldnt think not wanting to watch is a sign of depression unless it was something you really liked or was passionate about. Don’t worry yet. As long as you’re doing other things and not shutting yourself away.
If you are doing other things, ignore it.
If you are basically just sitting and/or sleeping and your life is becoming oppressive and you dwell on every little thing, you may want to consider seeing some sort of doctor.
I mostly use TV for background noise. There are a couple of shows I follow on Amazon as well as any Marvel series on Netfllix. We have basic cable with On Demand for all our network needs.
My husband is the bigger TV watcher. He will happily play catch up with a show after dinner and start catching up with another one if he finishes the first. I’ll hang out with him but I’m always doing something else while he watches.
It isn’t abnormal. It’s not uncommon for people to “cut the cable” and only watch a few things on DVD or in cinemas. I hear people speak of that a lot.
I still love TV, but it is harder to find the kinds of things I liked when I was younger, they aren’t really made like that anymore. But with so much content these days, I am spoilt for choice, and I don’t think a day has passed by in the last 15 years where I don’t watch at least one new TV episode or movie. If you’re willing to put in the effort, you will likely find a few things that you’d enjoy.
But you don’t have to. Read a book, play a video game, listen to music, or involve yourself in a practical hobby; it’s all good.
I haven’t watched TV in years but I do binge watch Netflix things sometimes, but until recently it had been awhile. I think the last thing I watched was the 2nd season of House of Cards when it was new, but in the past month I’ve watched all the new comedy specials and a few tv series.
Lumpy, are you seeing other signs of depression in yourself?
As others asked, have you lost interest in other things, too? Or is it just TV?
Losing interest in TV sounds like movement toward mental health. I ditched my cable a while ago and just have a ROKU. Even so, I’m amazed at how little there is that I want to watch. Back when I used to get DVDs from Netflix, I’d watch them because, well, the disk was there. Now I’ll start a movie and if it doesn’t grab me, I’m outta there. Sometimes when I’m really bored, I’ll spend a good amount of time at Netflix looking at virtually everything that’s available and can’t find one single movie that looks good. Netflix does NOT generally have the latest movies. It’s like browsing a second-rate video store back in the day (IMHO).