Symptoms: Bored. Feeling just motivated enough to make yourself a hearty snack of popcorn or ice cream, but not to do much else.  Constant craving to wear sweatpants for days at a time, to lounge on a couch, and to make unbreakable relationships with fictional characters.

Remedies: Find your favorite spot in the house, load up a bowl of popcorn or your go-to snack, tell your parents and your friends that you’ll be off the grid for the next 12 hours, and hide away with your laptop, TV, or cell phone to watch the next full season of that one Netflix show you can’t get enough of.

Side effects:  You may catch yourself humming, whistling, or singing that Friend’s theme song that’s been stuck in your head for a week.  False hope- Let’s face it, reality TV is no match for the false reality that TV shows can inflict upon the soul.  You may or may not find yourself ranked among the fan girl stereotype.  

Possible Issues:  After watching for hours and sometimes even days, you’ll realize that there are only seven seasons.  And little to your knowledge, you’ve just watched them all. What now?  Well, my fine Netflix comrade, I’ll tell you what’s next:  the next big show.  The TVseries that everyone talks about. The one or two you’ve heard about from your friends, but never actually got around to it because you haven’t finished that one you’ve been obsessed with for weeks.

Suggested Shows: In case your friends aren’t as up to date with their Netflix watching, I’ll give you a heads up, in no particular order, about the best shows out there:

Lost:  This mind blowing, time bending, heart wrenching drama kept me locked in my room for a month– not literally, but just about accurate.  Oceanic flight 815 has crash landed on a deserted island. But is it really deserted? The events of the survivors will keep you awake at night, not only because you “just have to watch one more episode,” but because some episodes will creep you out, either by scaring you, or by making you question the meaning of life.

Friends:  A decade of seasons in the Friends series follows the lives of six friends, Rachel, Joey, Melissa, Chandler, Phoebe, and Ross in Manhattan.  Their eventful lives are typical, relatable, and just plain comedic.  With just the right balance of drama and humor, Friends will have you crying one moment and getting an ab work-out from laughing so hard the next.

The Office:  Of all the TVshows mentioned in this article, this “mockumentary” of a typical office work space takes the cake for most beloved characters.  Even when you finish all nine seasons, you’ll likely find yourself remembering the events of The Office like they are the good ole days.  I look back on Jim’s harmless pranks on Dwight– my personal favorite being “Asian Jim”– and think “ahh I remember when Jim pretended to be Asian all along and got everyone else in the office in on it” like I was there to see it.  All of Michael’s unintentional, clueless missayings, Jim and Pam’s perfect romance, and Kevin’s immaturity live on in the hearts of true fans even far after the last episode aired.

How I Met Your Mother:  As Ted tells his two kids the eventful story of how he met their mother, we relive with him his dating years, and the random, odd, yet delightfully entertaining experiences in the Big Apple.  If you haven’t already, you’ll find yourself a part of the unbreakable friendship between best friends Ted, Barney, Marshall, Lily, and Robin. You’ll find comfort in hearing Barney say “suit up” and you’ll become proficient in the rules of the legendary slap bet.  

Parks and Recreation:  The public officials of a small Indiana town are hilariously determined to carry out miscellaneous, random projects to make their city a better place.  The quotable antics of Ron Swanson and Leslie Knope will have you cracking up even if you’re in a room all by yourself.  That’s the power of Parks and Rec humor.

Gossip Girl:  I don’t recommend this from experience– as I have only seen the first two episodes;– but because I know so many fellow Netflix fanatics who have spent days in front of theirTV’s watching Gossip Girl, I had to mention it.  Long story short, the Gossip Girl uses a social blog to twist “herself” into the lives of her high school peers.  I’ve heard that the suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat, and that the drama is unforgiving.

Arrested Development:  A Netflix original, Arrested Development features a stereotypical dysfunctional family, and a son who takes over the family business after his father is imprisoned.  The task of keeping the family the same is quite a difficult one, but watching them manage is just as interesting.

You must know, and I speak from experience, these shows are highly addictive and may result in any or more of the possible side effects listed above.  Please proceed with caution and remember to prioritize your life; because let’s face it, homework just gets in the way.  Brush it off ‘till the last minute and get your Netflix on.