As a little kid, I spent more hours reading books than sitting on a couch in front of a TV. I watched the occasional Disney show, but rarely found myself fascinated by the screen. Easily sucked into fictional fantasy worlds and attached to characters in the books I was devouring, I should have known television was eventually going to come for me. Unknowingly at the time, my brothers played a key role in my addiction by introducing me to the show “The Walking Dead” when I was 10. One Sunday night, the two of them convinced me to put down my Harry Potter book (I read the series three times) and watch an episode.

The post-apocalyptic horror show was startlingly graphic and nothing I had ever witnessed before. My jaw dropped at the sight of flesh being ripped by zombies’ teeth, blood exploding from severed heads and bullets slicing through brains. The gore was stomach-churning. I loved it.

“The Walking Dead” isn’t completely composed of violence and bloodshed. The character’s each have their own story, relationships and fair share of hardships. I had to see who would survive and who would join the undead (spoiler alert: my favorite was clubbed to death last season). Due to this desire, I’ve seen all 99 episodes and some more than once. The same goes for “Game of Thrones,” a show following nine families that are all fighting for control of a mythical land called Westeros. My heart hurts thinking about how the eighth and final season won’t air till May of 2019… Do the producers really think all-consuming fans like me can wait that long?

My taste in television is tremendously diverse. I can go from watching open heart surgery on “Grey’s Anatomy” to catching serial killers on “Criminal Minds” to fighting court cases on “How to Get Away with Murder.” Recently, I’ve become an admirer of sitcoms and comedy series. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit I finished four seasons of “Parks and Recreation” in a week. Not to mention I rewatched every season of “Shameless,”spending more time with the fictitious Gallagher family than with my own.

Netflix preys on people like me, those constantly in search for a new show to fangirl over. My parents should really cancel our subscription (if you’re reading this mom — not really. I couldn’t survive.) I’ve been working on having limited doses of TV, but it’s so easy to flop down on the plush couch and claim you’re only going to watch one episode, then somehow end up watching five. Here are four of my tips to help overcome addiction to television:

1. Acknowledge that there is a problem. In all seriousness, I discovered that television had stolen precious time from me that could have been spent with my friends and family. I promise that going out and socializing with others is far more important than who won the Bachelor (some will disagree).    
2. Get active and exercise. I’ve found that whether it’s going to the gym after school or playing a sport, exercising helps me feel productive, healthier and happier.
3. Set some goals. Motivation to change often starts when there is something I strive to achieve. Focus on improving grades or start participating in a club. The more goals you have, the less time there is to lay around in front of a screen.
4. Limit screen time. This applies to social media like Snapchat and Instagram as well. All time spent with technology can be detrimental if it isn’t regulated. Set an allotted amount of time each day to scroll through Twitter or watch that episode of “New Girl” and don’t exceed it.

Hopefully these tips were helpful if you’re anything like me. Recall the famous words of Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in awhile, you could miss it.” If you haven’t seen that movie, I highly recommend.