Looking to spend more time with mom and dad? Netflix knows the best way to connect is binge watching

Let’s face it, growing up, there’s nothing worse than your parents asking if you have time to talk. Whether it’s about sex, drugs, college, or high school life in general, for some reason, these serious talks between parents and teens always seem to be awkward and painful.

With the release of shows like 13 Reasons Why, Netflix has found a new way for parents and teens to connect while still talking about these serious issues: Binge watch together. Netflix recently conducted a study about the relationship between parents and teens and found that watching the same shows can actually help parents and their children connect.

As part of the study, Netflix filmed an experiment in which a parents and their teens talked about their relationships and how they’d like to improve them. Separately, parents opened up to the camera about wanting to know more about their teen’s everyday life while the teens revealed that they were reluctant to share intricate details of their lives with their parents because they felt that their parents may not understand what they’re going through. Netflix had the teens and parents watch the same series, 13 Reasons Why, before bringing them together to talk about it. Not only did the parents and teens have more to talk about, many of the parents and teens ended up delving into deeper topics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IR8h8t4irI?feature=oembed

While teens are depicted seen as generally looking to avoid tough conversations with their parents, the Netflix study found that the majority of teens (63%) and parents (90%) think that watching the same TV show could facilitate a dialogue about tough topics like mental health or sex. Additionally, most teens (70%) would actually like to talk to their parents about the shows they watch.

Scrolling through their enormous catalogue of TV shows, Netflix put together a starter kit for parents looking to connect with their kid through a common TV series.

For instance, one of the most popular TV series on Netflix is Grey’s Anatomy, which is not only endlessly entertaining, it’s something both teens and adults can enjoy. It’s also filled with so many stressful situations, it’s a great conversation starter about stress. For parents just looking to find something in common with their teen, Gilmore Girls is *literally* a show about a parent/child relationship so funny and relatable, you’ll never run out of things to say.

Whether you’re guessing who the real “A” is or keeping up with Friends in Central Perk, Netflix has you covered so you’ll always have something to watch together!