I am a fairly high-tech person, so people often express surprise when they come across one of my low-tech habits.
The latest ribbing I received was about the nature of my Netflix subscription. “What, you still get Netflix DVDs? Why aren’t you streaming?”
For those of you who have been living in a cave, Netflix is an on-line video rental service. Using the traditional service, you log on to your account, create a list of movies and TV shows you want to see (known as your “queue”), and then wait for the first available DVD to arrive in the mail. When you are finished watching the DVD, you put it in the envelope, mail it back, and wait for the next one to arrive.
Netflix now offers a second plan that enables members to stream videos directly to their computers or TVs. No more waiting for the DVD to arrive in the mail. You turn on your device, pick your movie, and you are ready to watch.
So why doesn’t a high-tech girl like me want to stream videos? Frankly, I find the idea of having so many choices utterly terrifying!
One way that I manage my time — and my life — is by limiting my choices. I subscribe to the Netflix plan that allows me to have three videos out at a time. That’s about as much choice as I want. When a rare two-hour window opens up in my family’s evening schedule, we pick one of three movies — movies that I already vetted when I added them to my queue.
Just another instance in which less is more.
