‘Tis the Season to Stream Your Favorite Holiday Movies
Even though we at Tech Square ATL (TSQATL) Social Club pride ourselves on being data-driven, tech-focused, and backed by the numbers, there is no way we could ever curate THE “top holiday movies” list for our members. It’s just too difficult – for a multitude of reasons – even for computing-wizards like ourselves.
For one, there’s too many genres – the classics, new releases, comedies, horror, animation, musicals. Where would one even start? Secondly, with all the latest advancements in technology, there are now a plethora of different streaming services available, all hosting a wide array of films to choose from. Lastly, it’s simply too hard to choose from all the amazing movies out there!
But just because we’re not creating a “best-of” compilation, it doesn’t mean we deserve to be on the naughty list. We’re still here to drop some knowledge on ya.
When it comes to the biggest players in the TV holiday movie realm, Hallmark and Lifetime don’t play any reindeer games. However, other streaming platforms are jumping on the bandwagon (or sleigh, rather?). Take Netflix, for example. “Around half” of Netflix subscribers “watched at least one” of the streaming service’s original holiday films during the 2019 holiday season. And while Netflix doesn’t have nearly as many original holiday movies under its belt as its predecessors (who are putting out roughly 30 to 40 TV films this season alone), their collection is continuously growing, just like Santa’s belly.
And, whether you’re binge-watching your favorite festive films now, or you started back in October just to feel some holiday cheer as soon as possible, take solace in knowing you’re not alone. In 2019, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), watching TV was the leisure activity that occupied the most time (2.8 hours per day), accounting for just over half of all leisure time, on average. So, we can only imagine how that number will increase once 2020 data is released, considering the year we’ve all had (and the ample amount of extra time we’ve had on our hands).
Despite all the “holiday happiness” feelings these movies are supposed to invoke, it’s important to be mindful that there are also serious health risks associated with binge-watching, even of the cheerful variety. Marathon-viewing can mimic the effects of a drug “high” (and ultimately, the lows), it can isolate you (even more than we already are), and it can interfere with your sleeping.
Nevertheless, endless streaming can actually pay off – both emotionally and financially. For instance, the website Reviews.org was actually hiring a “Chief Holiday Cheermeister” this year. That’s right, for a compensation of $2,5000 and a year’s worth of streaming services, anyone could apply to watch and review 25 holiday movies in 25 days.
So, keep spreading that yuletide cheer (and NOT Coronavirus) by staying in, snuggling up, and streaming to your heart’s content.