As described in one of my previous blog posts, the five keys to a good life include adequate sleep, exercise, good diet, an active social life, and a sense of purpose.

Unfortunately, to sell products and enhance revenue, many companies provide inducements that counter the five keys.

In 2017, Netflix CEO and cofounder Scott Hastings stated that there are only a certain amount of hours when people are active, and that Netflix’s goal is to occupy those moments. He said his company’s goal is to bring joy to its viewers.

He added, “You get a show or a movie you’re really dying to watch, and you end up staying up late at night, so we actually compete with sleep.” Hastings suggested that sleep is Netflix’s number one competitor, more so than other streaming services. He then commented on the state of the competition: “We’re winning!”

If we accept Hastings’ assessment, Netflix’s win is society’s loss, as decreased sleep time causes a lot of disruption in people’s lives leading to poorer school and work performance and worsening physical and mental health.

Watching shows and videos (including through Netflix), playing games, and engaging with social media through electronics are all associated with decreased physical activity. Unfortunately, programming of content delivered through electronics entices the consumer to spend more time interacting with the presented material, which leads to less time for healthier activities.

Television programmers, game designers and social media services utilize psychological principles to addict their consumers. These principles include:

(1) Activating our brain reward center to trigger release of dopamine, the “pleasure

© Psychology Today