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The Real Reason We're so Obsessed with Politics

Why we treat politics like a highly addictive Netflix show

By Landon GirodPublished 5 years ago 5 min read
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The other night I was watching one of those televised debates between presidential candidates. I viewed the political spectacle with mostly amusement. But many people I knew reacted in very different ways.

For some, it incited rejoicing, for others, it inflamed rage. It showed me how so many people invest their lives in politics, sometimes for good reasons.

For older or sick people, the topic of healthcare can be crucial to them. Policies decided by these politicians can affect how expensive their medical expenses can get. Or what kind of care they can get. Regarding young people going to college, Bernie Sanders promising cancellation of all student debt can save them thousands of dollars.

There are a lot of problems with our country, but the ones we get the most upset about have almost no effect on our personal lives. When tweeters rant about something offensive Trump said, or another tweeter valiantly defending something Trump said, we get into a whole new territory.

The realm of escapism.

I think just about everyone has binge-watched a Netflix show a time or two, casting aside sleeping, eating, and exhibiting several other addictive behaviors that would typically make a therapist send you to a mental facility.

But there's a reason why we get addicted to these shows.

Through the hours of content streaming services, we can escape into a fantasy away from our daily lives, instead of living in our shows. Where what we most desire can be fantasized about.

Your superhero and gangster shows act as power and greed porn, allowing you to feel like you have total control of the world. By living through these characters who do control their worlds on your screen.

A comedy or romance provide you a world where everything works out, giving you a warm fuzzy feeling, dreaming of all your problems in life coming together. Getting that promotion, getting back together with the ex you're still hung up on, actually getting along with Karen (we all know a "Karen").

It's human nature to use a dream-like future to motivate us. Our brain is continually looking for ways to make the happy chemicals go crazy. Pulling out old memories, or imagining a beautiful future.

The brain certainly doesn't like thinking about all the things we need to do in the present, or in the future. This creates nasty things like anxiety, fatigue, which decreases the happy feelings we like to feel.

Netflix shows and Donald Trump are both escapes, (Yes, I said Trump).

There's a lot of things we should be doing right now (You should know it took me literally hours of procrastination just to write this article). Things like improving ourselves, working on that paper, fixing relationships, figuring out who we are.

But that shit is hard. It's much easier to bitch about Donald Trump for hours every day, then watch some Netflix afterward, and maybe chill.

Whether you're getting upset for how the "fake news" media is portraying Trump, or how much of a bigot our president is, many of us are using him as an escape.

With a fascinating emotion, anger.

Now you're probably thinking, yo blogger dude, anger is a negative emotion, so why would our brains want us to feel it, huh??? You're just a wannabe psychologist who has no idea what he's talking about.

Okay, pretentious twitter warriors, before you leave and go back to brushing your hipster mustache or drinking a cup of sugar-filled Starbucks coffee, consider this: Anger is a negative emotion, but we kinda like it.

The reason I know this is because I'm a human being, not a psychologist. I've carefully observed my own feelings, and those belonging to people around me and realized something fundamental regarding anger by asking a simple question.

When do you get angry?

Really think about this a moment.

Look back at times you got pissed about something. It's usually when injustice occurs, or when you're feeling attacked, and you need a boost of strength to stand up for yourself, right? You don't feel powerful when you're sad, you don't feel strong when you're afraid. But you do feel powerful when you're pissed.

I know this from experience. I used to have pretty bad anger issues, and I'd use my temper to keep myself from getting hurt. Like a shield. Whenever someone would do something to injure me emotionally, I became angry to make me feel like I was still in control.

I remember at one point the girl I was dating at the time said something over a FaceTime call I found immoral, an opinion more or less. Instead of being a mature person and discussing it with her rationally, I hung up and ignored her for hours. Acting like a bratty four years old who didn't want to take a bath at night.

In acting like a child, I was sticking it to her for her horribly wrong beliefs. A way to show I was still in control over her, by making her text me for hours wondering if I was okay and if I was angry at her.

I've since fixed that issue, especially my anger. Though I'm still working hard on my anger, I can now have political discussions in my personal relationships without acting like an emotional asshole.

And much like what I just did with my ex-girlfriend, your mind does the same damn thing every time it goes on Twitter or gets a news update about how Trump is imprisoning puppies inside bowsers castle. Or on the flip side, libtards are trying to stop Trump from imprisoning puppies inside bowsers castle.

It's a beautiful distraction that gives you control for a moment in your out of control life. A Netflix show, a drug, a pastime, an escape that makes you angry for more.

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About the Creator

Landon Girod

Hi I'm Landon Girod. I've had two books not make the New York Times bestseller list. And most of articles and short stories have yet to win any awards.

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