These days, the popularity of television series is quite remarkable -- the likes of which we've never quite seen before. Whether it's friends, family, or co-workers, it seems everyone watches at least one TV series. Among the most popular ones are: The Walking Dead Game of Thrones Empire Breaking Bad True Detective Sherlock  Now, I've never been one to watch these kinds of shows, but when I first saw True Detective being advertised, it looked interesting -- and so I figured that watching one episode couldn't hurt. I became instantly hooked! It was only then I understood why so many people I know become so enthralled by these shows.  I started thinking about the reasons why these shows resonate so closely with us, the viewers.  Here are a couple of reasons that may explain their surge in popularity in recent years: They distract us from our daily lives : Considering that our lives seem to be getting busier and more stressful by the day, these shows ...

As a kid growing up, I distinctly remember friends and family being all gung-ho about going to the movies. Some of us made it a weekly ritual -- in fact, we would catch one (if not two) showings each week. These days, it seems the fervor over cinema has died down quite a bit. Yes, production companies are still raking in massive profits at the box office, but it just doesn't seem like people -- at least those in my immediate social circle -- are as interested in making the trek to the movie theater on the weekends. Is it the same for you? There are several reasons for this: First, the cost of movie tickets continues to skyrocket. AMC Theatres locations in my city charge a whopping $22 for a pair of tickets to an evening showing. That doesn't even include snacks or popcorn! Second, enter streaming content. We all use or have heard of content providers like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu. These companies provide a cheaper way to watch movies -- and from the comfort of your hom...