Taking a lesson from...Netflix?

In the past couple of years, the latest addiction that so many of us have faced has been our love for instant television streaming. We binge watch our favorite shows, and countdown to when new seasons are released. Whether it’s a nice break from reality, or a way to wind down at the end of the day, Netflix is there for us, always. But what if there was a way to take our love of Netflix, and turn it into something useful? A way we could learn about global issues, industry secrets and the way that our society is changing? All these topics, among many more, are shared in various documentaries on Netflix. I’ve picked a few of the most popular ones to share.

1. Fed Up: It’s no secret that obesity has been a growing issue in the United States. And as our waistlines grow, so do our desires to be healthy and skinny. In this eye-opening documentary, Katie Couric exposes many secrets within the food industry that are keeping America fat. In one shocking segment, she shares that pizza and French fries are considered vegetables in school lunches.
2. Living on One Dollar: In this documentary, four recent college graduates set out on an eight week adventure in Guatemala, where they plan to live on just one dollar a day. They experience extreme poverty and the struggles it brings. More importantly, they learn about the strong community ties that exist in these parts of the world that helped to keep them alive.
3. Blackfish: In this documentary, many of the secrets of Sea World’s past are revealed as former Sea World employees share their experiences in working with killer whales. This documentary gained the most media coverage following its premiere, and served as a catalyst towards change for animal rights.

Maybe after the next season you finish, you can scroll the documentaries section of Netflix and take a look at what it has to offer. You could find yourself learning about a scientific phenomenon, an unexplained occurrence in history, or even the secrets behind what actually feeds our country.

This guest blog post was written by PRowl staff member Christina Clemence