Actually, I'm a PhD student myself, and Netflix/Amazon/Twitch is how I decompress at the end of a long day of classes and/or research. I guess it depends on the person; some people find physical activity enjoyable, while others (like myself) see it as something that must be done in order to stay healthy.

Some people decompress in weird ways. Ways I decompress...

- Writing code unrelated to what I write at work

- Reading business books

- Exercise

- Mindfulness

- Doing math lessons on Khan Academy

- Watching TV

Arguably 3/5 of those are just as mentally taxing as what I do all day at work yet somehow I am able to recharge. I think for me it is more about changing direction than difficulty.

Ego depletion is a controversial model.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego_depletion#Reproducibility_...

I have personally found that TV and social media checking are not particularly restorative activities after a stressful day. Light exercise or a nap on the other hand are like a magic elixir. Perhaps the ultimate YMMV.

I was also a bit offended by the premise that TV (or video games) has any causal relationship with achievement. I think it's the other way around, some people are not ambitious and spend their idle time watching TV. But watching TV does not keep you from realizing your ambitions. Completely uncorrelated in my view.

I'm a high-producing programmer, and TV and video games play an essential role for me (as does exercise) to restore mental energy.

I'm pretty sure the article mentions this specifically.