I began binge-watching TV series in the early 2000s, long before streaming existed and became the primary way that we consume new shows.

In middle school, I was always the last one awake at a sleepover, eyes glued to the screen, staying up to watch every episode on the next disc of a One Tree Hill DVD boxed set (because it was expensive, and I didnt own the second season yet) or to watch reruns of Degrassi the iteration where rapper Drake played Jimmy. In high school, Id drive to one of the few remaining Blockbusters to rent shows that aired before I was old enough to stay up for prime time: Felicity , The West Wing, Friends. In senior year, my reward for completing my college applications was a Netflix subscription; my mom refused to let me subscribe earlier, convinced that I would never leave my room if I had access to the companys extensive catalog.

Instead of fretting about little red envelopes, she should have been worried about streaming, which exploded a few months later during my first year of college. I spent most nights holed up in my room, catching up on current shows like Psych and Pretty Little Liars or discovering older series like Ally McBeal.