There’s nothing quite like having a good TV show to binge watch. When you are in the thick of a series, a strong compulsion develops to watch the show. I have come to realize that having a show you binge watch is much in the same as having a drug addiction. Here are some ways in which the two are similar.
The Binge
The glaring similarity would obviously be the way in which a good series and a drug are consumed. Binge watching a TV show is similar to binge drug use because both driven by massive compulsion. The episodes just keep on piling up and soon enough you realize that you have just spent 5 hours watching 6 episodes of Dexter. This binge also leaves you feeling a little out of it, which leads me to my next point.
The Aftermath
Like many drugs, there is often a hangover of sorts after long periods of watching a show. It often leaves one feeling tired and irritable after not having human interaction while watching. It may also leave you with a headache depending on the lighting of the room and how close you were to the TV. It may even leave you feeling sick if you haven’t eaten during the binge, but this is rare because ood and Netflix go together like peanut butter and chocolate.
Negative Effects on Your Life
A good TV show can start to affect your life and usually not for the better. You begin to weigh everything you do against watching an episode. Should you go to class or watch "Game of Thrones"? A factor in this decision is always time, as an episode of TV is conveniently the same length as the class. Or if you have decided to go to class, usually because of clicker questions, should you take notes or get in an episode? Hangout with your roommates or lock yourself in your room and watch TV? Go home to see mom and dad or try and get a whole season into the weekend? It's questions like these that allow a good show to ruin your life until you finish it.
Your Whole Life Revolves Around It
Like a drug addiction, a great TV show will become the center of your life. You will always be thinking about when you can watch the next episode. You try and fit them in throughout your day, and are always worried you won’t be able to watch enough. The fear of not having access to your show due to poor, or no WiFi, a dead battery, or any other reason will cause a great deal of anxiety.
The High
This is the sole reason you watch the show. The ranges of emotion the show makes you feel will always keep you coming back for more. Like drugs, different shows have different highs. There are shows that will make you laugh, cry, sit on the edge of the seat, you name it, a show can make you feel that way.
