8 Netflix Shows That Will Instantly Make You Smarter
Google. Facebook. YouTube. Netflix.
The world’s most powerful empires that were born less than three decades ago.
Although modern technology has a bad rep for being time wasters, distractions, and productivity killers, I like to look at the world with a more positive point of view.
And if you’ve been following me for any time now, you’ll know I’m fascinated with living in such a digital age that allows us to learn practically anything we want to.
So today, I’m going to teach you how to make yourself smarter by doing something we’re all guilty of doing — binge-watching Netflix.
How to Use Netflix to Learn Anything
Netflix has a wide variety of movies and series available for streaming, and reportedly has over 76,000 micro-genres you can choose from.
However, you don’t have to go unlock any secret genres to find Netflix’s hidden gems.
The good news is, whether you like watching movies, TV series, documentaries or even anime, you can transform your Netflix account into an education system using any format.
But how exactly do you navigate Netflix and choose from the abundance of movie and TV options with the goal of learning?
Let’s break it down into a few simple steps.
Step 1: Know what you want to learn.
Want to learn how to adopt the mindset of a billionaire? Check out “Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates.”
Want to learn about the Russian revolution? Add “The Last Czars” to your watch list for a thrilling drama-like documentary series to binge. (I personally became addicted to this one!)
Want to learn about factory farming’s alleged connection to the planet’s amount of natural resources? Watch “Cowspiracy.”
Regardless of what you want to learn, there are bound to be options available on Netflix.
Step 2: Find a movie or series that interests you.
The key to truly learning something is to make it entertaining. We want to learn about things we have a passion for, but often forget information we’re forced to memorize.
I mean, I for one don’t remember a thing about high school geometry.
Luckily, you don’t have to sit through an hour or more of a narrated documentary that’s similar to those “movies” our high school teachers would put on for us when they got tired of teaching.
Popular TV shows like “How to Get Away with Murder” and “Ozark” are among the most educational entertainment series out there, believe it or not.
Simply type what you want to learn about into the Netflix search bar and see what comes up.
For example, when I typed in “investing,” here’s a screenshot of what I found:
You instantly see documentaries and movies about famous investors, billionaires, thought leaders, and the economy.
Step 3: Imagine yourself in the scenes.
As cheesy as this might sound, try to apply every scene into your own life.
This could mean analyzing your current habits, comparing what you do to what the characters in the show you’ve chosen do, or making a list of steps to take in your iPhone as you watch.
Step 4: Compile a list of new vocabulary.
This step might sound a bit strange to you.
But if you’re learning about a topic like finance or real estate, you’re likely to come across vocabulary words and industry jargon that you don’t yet understand.
To learn them, simply turn on the captions and look up the terms you don’t know online. Write down the definitions in a notebook or in a note on your phone.
And even if you aren’t looking to learn industry jargon, looking up any word you don’t understand and learning it gives you a bigger vocabulary. Thus making you sound like a much smarter person.
This technique is especially useful for those learning another language using Netflix. Simply choose the show of your choice, turn the audio to your target language, put on subtitles in your target language, and look up any words you don’t yet know.
8 Netflix Shows That Will Instantly Make You Smarter
Now that you know how to properly transform your Netflix account into a learning tool, let’s discover the eight shows you can watch right now to become smarter in a broad range of topics.
1. Criminal Minds
If you love crime, psychology, and making your head spin, Criminal Minds has probably been on your watch list for some time.
Not only will this show teach you more about the criminal justice system, police procedures, and the FBI, but it’ll also give you a look into the minds of seemingly psychotic criminal masterminds.
2. Grey’s Anatomy
Just about every teenage girl and her dog has seen (or wanted to see) Grey’s Anatomy. Not only is it highly entertaining and its plot development addicting, but you’ll also become much more knowledgable about the medical field and some of its industry terminology.
3. Breaking Bad
While I definitely don’t applaud the making or distributing of crystal meth, Breaking Bad gives viewers a peek into the underground economy of drug manufacturing. Not many of us everyday folks are super knowledgable about the topic, which is probably why so many people get away with it.
Who knows? You might use this knowledge to bust the next El Chapo.
4. How to Get Away with Murder
I briefly mentioned this popular TV show earlier, but didn’t elaborate much.
This is one of those shows that if you really want to benefit from, will require some pausing so you can ponder on what you’ve watched, make logical predictions, and jot down industry jargon (like legal terms).
It also gives some great insight into psychology, as you clearly learn the methods the defense attorney/professor uses throughout her cases.
5. Ozark
If you like Breaking Bad, you’ll probably like Ozark as well. This thought-provoking series takes you along the journey of a once highly successful financial analyst who ruined his life by deciding to join a cartel in Chicago laundering money, and is now on the run with his family.
You learn a lot about investing in small businesses, creating strategies to attract more customers to businesses about to die, and of course, how money laundering works.
Plus, it’s a great reminder that the decisions you make — no matter how tempting they may be — always come with consequences.
6. Narcos: Mexico
Set in the 1980s, Narcos: Mexico takes watchers on a wild ride. By binging this series, you’ll witness the beginning of the Mexican drug war plus the wild ascent of the Guadalajara cartel.
Inspired by true stories, this series is not only highly entertaining and filmed like a drama, but also real history.
7. Reign
This series is an incredible history documentary and drama in one. If you didn’t know it was actual history, you’d likely believe it was crafted by a hyper-creative writer.
Reign takes you on a vivid walk through Mary the Queen of Scots’ rise to power. And of course, through a court corrupt with sex and politics.
Not only will your knowledge of European history expand quite a bit, but you’ll also finally have the perfect excuse for stocking up on more popcorn.
8. Forensic Files
If you want to walk along the sides of actual detectives solving real crimes, then Forensic Files is a must-add to your watch list. The series showcases detectives and crime lab technicians using modern, intricate procedures to solve a variety of crimes.
And there you have it — eight binge-worthy Netflix series that will instantly make you smarter.
In the age we live in, there should be no reason why learning isn’t also entertaining.
And if you’re going to be addicted to Netflix, you might as well contribute to your education at the same time!
