I watched the first season of the comedy-drama, Ginny and Georgia in just two days.
Luckily for me, that was a few days before the second season made it to Netflix’s Top 10 list after being released in January 2023 and guess who finished the second season in two days? You got that right; me!
I could spend forever telling you how long it took me to watch some of my favorites like Emily in Paris, The Last of Us, Hanna, Wednesday, Warrior Nun, Virgin River, Firefly Lane, Sweet Magnolia, etc but let me give you an average figure: 3 days.
Three days of binge watching especially at night from 10 pm till 4 am on a Saturday or the Sunday before a holiday. Sometimes I would watch on a weekday if I was really “high” on that series and pay the price for it at work the next day.
But thank God for midday nap breaks. God knows they’ve saved my life!
And for each of these series, it was the same. “I am gonna watch just one more episode”, I tell myself. After which I’ll do three more and realise “Oh no! I just finished the season and there’s nothing else to see here. I better get to bed”
I’m not alone though. I’ll prove it to you!
According to an article published by Nielsen, when the second season of Stranger Things was released on Netflix, 361,000 people watched all nine seasons of the TV show on the same day.
A 2021 Netflix survey testifies that 61% of its users admit to watching 2-6 episodes of a show at a go. And a more recent release says this number increased to 70%. That definitely includes me and possibly you too. Lol
A binge-watching statistics article from Soocial.com revealed that:
70% of Americans aged between 30 and 44 often binge-watch TV shows or films.
90% of millennials and GenZs binge-watch.
52% of all adult TV watchers stayed awake all night in order to watch a show.
Let’s be honest here. The real pandemic is not COVID-19, this is it! and it’s getting to even the best of us.
So why can’t we just stop watching?
We have so many affordable streaming options that give us access to all the episodes of a series and then gives us the free will to choose how many we get to watch at a sitting.
Then they turn around to make the next episode automatically play after the first ends and once we get knee-deep in the story we can’t come out of it until we are 3 to 6 episodes gone.
Once we hit the 3 episodes in a sitting threshold, we have successfully binge-watched a TV show or series.
So we are definitely not to blame. The streaming apps know what we desperately want and what their content does to us so they ride that wave and keep us behind the screens.
Why people binge-watch can be explained in so many different ways. Some of the reasons run through but others are pretty specific to personality traits, lifestyles and values.
Binge-watching is a mini getaway
For some, like me, curling up in a bed or sitting on the couch with some popcorn to binge episodes of my favorite show is a mini-getaway, an escape from the busy work and sometimes home schedule.
In those hours you get to forget everything you have done or need to do; block out all your responsibilities and your dependencies and just live vicariously through the characters on the screen.
Feel their emotions and face their challenges. Yes! We’d rather face their challenges than ours! Lol. We’d rather experience their emotions without the consequences in real life. We get to release stress after a long hard day or week, mentally, emotionally, and physically.
“I can relate”
When you watch a TV show with a character that is at a stage in their life similar to yours or you see a character that has personality traits and values just like yours, you tend to watch more of it because “you can relate”.
The Netflix TV show, Ginny and Georgia had different high school characters that a young person can relate to: the loud and proud, the smart and cool, the boy bands, the weirdos, and the list goes on.
It also embraced the life of a single mother, racial injustices, a little bit of politics and a host of love stories. And a lot more shows are being made this diverse in order for viewers to identify with the characters and find that sense of acceptance or desire or fantasy enough to keep them coming back.
The sense of flow
When people binge-watch, they can experience a state of “flow”, which is a term coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi to describe a state of complete absorption and focus in an activity.
In this state, people become fully immersed in the story and lose track of time, which can make it difficult to stop watching.
Flow is characterized by several key elements, including a sense of control over the activity, a loss of self-consciousness, and a feeling of enjoyment and fulfilment. When people binge-watch, they often experience these elements, as they have control over the content they’re consuming, can lose themselves in the story, and feel a sense of satisfaction from completing multiple episodes or an entire series.
The dopamine release
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that’s associated with pleasure and reward. When we binge a TV show, we often experience a flood of dopamine as we become absorbed in the storyline, which can make it difficult to stop watching.
Our bodies like good things and naturally gravitate towards anything that brings pleasure and fulfilment and dopamine is a sign of internal pleasure and reward. That means the brain will continually validate your actions, telling you to do more of it.
Social Status
Some people binge a show because everyone is watching it and to be part of “the cool kids” you have to stay up-to-date on the latest shows so you can contribute to the conversation.
One of our primary human drives is social status; how people perceive us. So this is a big motivation to binge-watch the latest shows.
The nature of the streaming apps
The content on streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime and HBO Max is designed to be highly engaging and addictive, with cliffhangers, plot twists, and other techniques used to keep viewers hooked.
This can contribute to the flow state and make it even harder for people to stop watching. It is embedded in their business model.
“Subscription platforms promote binge-watching because it keeps the customer in front of the screen. When one episode ends, the next one automatically starts.
Also, the way these stories are written makes them better consumed in this manner.
The storytellers take into account that you’re not going to watch one episode per week, you’re going to watch several back-to-back.”
-Prof Pedro Ferreira, Profesor, Heinz College
Are there any benefits of binge-watching?
Positive Impact on Social Connections
Binge-watching has been found to have a positive impact on social connections by fostering a sense of community and shared experience among viewers.
When we binge-watch a show, we often find ourselves discussing it with friends and family, bonding over common interests and shared emotional responses. This can lead to a stronger sense of connection and belonging, as well as opportunities for meaningful conversations and the exchange of ideas.
It can also provide a shared cultural reference point, allowing us to connect with others who enjoy the same shows and movies. It is also proven to improve romantic relationships.
Health benefits like stress relief
By releasing dopamine, our bodies experience a sense of relaxation and stress relief. This can be especially helpful after a long day. It allows us to unwind and escape from the stresses of everyday life.
The Impact of Binge-Watching
While binge-watching can be a fun and enjoyable way to unwind, it’s important to recognize that it can also have negative impacts on our health.
Can lead to increased feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness.
When we spend long periods of time binging on shows, we may become isolated from the world and miss out on other meaningful activities that can contribute to our well-being.
For example, we may lose touch with friends and family members, miss out on opportunities to exercise and explore the outdoors or neglect our own personal development.
TV shows can sometimes be intense or emotionally challenging. This can make the feelings of anxiety or depression worse, as we are constantly bombarded with images and messages that can be difficult to process.
Can lead to physical health problems such as eye strain, neck pain and obesity.
When we spend long periods of time staring at a screen, we strain our eyes and neck muscles, leading to discomfort and pain.
The sedentary behaviour associated with binge-watching can also contribute to health problems like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Can contribute to insomnia or disrupted sleep patterns
The blue light emitted by screens can disrupt our natural sleep-wake cycle. When we watch TV, computers, or other devices before bed, we may be exposing ourselves to this blue light, which can interfere with the production of the sleep hormone ,melatonin , and make it harder to fall asleep.
Binging also leads to delayed bedtimes and irregular sleep patterns. When we become absorbed in a TV show, we tend to lose track of time and stay up later than we intend to, disrupting our natural sleep-wake cycle and making it harder to fall asleep or wake up at consistent times.
The content we consume while binge-watching can also contribute to insomnia. If we watch intense or emotionally challenging content before bed, we may have trouble falling asleep due to increased stress or anxiety.
We’re at such a high that it will take a lot for us to calm down from it and finally get some sleep.
Can have a negative impact on productivity.
When we spend long periods of time consuming media, we may neglect other responsibilities or activities that contribute to productivity, such as work or school assignments, household chores, or personal goals. This can lead to feelings of guilt, stress, and decreased motivation to complete tasks in a timely manner.
So what do we do?
Do we stop watching shows altogether? Or should we just watch one episode a day?
Let’s look at some tips and tricks to binge-watching responsibly.
Tips and Tricks For Managing Binge-Watching Behavior
No, don’t stop watching your favorite shows! You still need that dopamine to release stress. You want to be able to join the conversations and share deep connections with people over the characters and their lives.
We just need to find ways to not spend too long a time on a Tv show. Here are 5 things you can try:
Set limits
Set limits on how much time you spend watching your shows. You can limit yourself to watching one episode per day or set a time limit on how long you watch TV each day. This can help you avoid getting sucked into a binge-watching session and allow you to prioritize other activities.
Take breaks
Take breaks between episodes. This can help you avoid getting too absorbed in the story and give you time to reflect on what you’ve just watched. It can also help you avoid eye strain and other physical symptoms associated with prolonged screen time.
Watch with others
Watching shows with friends or family members can help you stay accountable and avoid binge-watching behavior. You can agree to watch one episode together each day or set other limits on how much TV you will watch.
Of course, you need someone who is responsible and caring enough to keep you accountable. Not someone else who is already struggling like you.
Choose quality over quantity
Rather than binge-watching multiple TV shows, consider choosing one or two high-quality shows to watch at a slower pace. This can help you avoid burnout and allow you to fully appreciate and enjoy the shows you are watching.
Balance it with other activities
You can balance binge-watching with other activities, such as exercise, socializing, and your hobbies. This can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle and prevent binge-watching from becoming a habit that interferes with other important aspects of your life.
Are you guilty of indulging in a little too much binge-watching? We’ve all been there. It’s easy to get lost in the world of TV shows and forget about the world around us. We have to acknowledge the potential negative impacts of excessive binge-watching on our health and well-being.
Don’t worry, though – it’s not all doom and gloom! By implementing simple strategies like setting limits, taking breaks, and watching with others, we can enjoy our favorite shows without sacrificing our health.
Instead of choosing quantity over quality, why not choose shows that are worth your time and truly resonate with you?
I want to hear from you!
Have you ever felt guilty or ashamed after a particularly long binge-watching session?
Or maybe you’ve found the perfect balance between media consumption and other activities?
Share your experiences and tips in the comments below, and let’s start a conversation about responsible and healthy binge-watching habits.
At the end of the day, remember to prioritize your health and well-being above all else. When we make mindful choices and take care of ourselves, we can continue to enjoy the benefits of binge-watching without sacrificing our health or quality of life.
First published on my website