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Why Netflix Needs a New Category

A proposal for insomniacs

Stuart Grant
2 min readMay 27, 2020
Courtesy of Thibault Penin on Unsplash

We have not had cable in over thirty years. Our household is composed of avid Netflix users. Between my wife, myself and our two daughters, our Netflix account runs 24/7 given our hectic schedules. Our daughters also watch Netflix on their laptops when the family TV is spoken for.

Living in a large urban center, we have modest living space and are underhoused. Access to the couch in the living room facing the TV takes on symbolic importance during prime time. The power dynamics of our family can be easily determined by who controls the living room TV after dinner. In the family hierarchy, being the breadwinner of record and sole male, I have learned that, based on primetime Netflix viewership, I come last. No problem. I’m a night owl and do most of my watching after everyone goes to bed using wireless headphones.

I have been an insomniac most of my adult life. My sleep pattern has come to the point where I need to be put to sleep by distraction. I used to read in bed but that kept my wife up. Some nights I will listen to podcasts on my phone but that makes my ears ring. I can’t afford any more hearing loss.

Streaming has taken on importance beyond entertainment. I now rely on Netflix as a sleep aid and have a methodology for choosing programs that help me sleep.

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Stuart Grant
Stuart Grant

Written by Stuart Grant

disparate parts coalescing toward a greater meaning in the pursuit of a fully realized life

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