We’ve all had that feeling. You turn on your streaming service, a colorful menu with an ocean of options pops up. You pause and stare at the screen. So many great choices. New shows to try out. Old favorites to revisit. Movies, sitcoms, documentaries, concerts, the list goes on and on … and on. Suddenly it’s 20 minutes later and no decisions have been made. It’s called streaming paralysis. And it’s affecting so many Americans that news of this issue is popping up everywhere from broadcast news shows to Nielsen reports.
According to Nielsen’s latest Total Audience Report, adults in the United States spend 11 hours and 27 minutes per day connected to media, and more than half of that usage is with digital media. And even though seven in 10 homes now have streaming service, which would indicate a general sense of comfort and proficiency with using the technology, nearly 21% of people indicated frustration with not being able to decide on something to watch and eventually walking away.
It would seem that you can have too much of a good thing, as access to hundreds of shows and movies at the touch of a button has turned the decision-making process into a lengthy one. The average U.S. adult takes a little more than seven minutes to make a selection on a streaming service. Viewers over 50, however, show less patience as they indicated that after about five minutes, they will just dive into something or walk away.
While it might seem like technology is the culprit in all of this, really it’s about how you use the technology. Technology also provides many positive things in life, as long as we remember that we can control how we use it. So the next time you find yourself becoming hypnotized by the screen and mindlessly clicking through preview after preview, turn your attention to other high-tech solutions that can better your mind, body or health. Most are free, and only take a few seconds to start using. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Health, Nutrition & Fitness
Food
Learn a New Language / Explore Cultures
And last but not least, there’s always Pinterest for ideas, inspiration, tutorials and expert guidance for everything we mention above and a whole lot more.