I hate TV. That being said, I binge-watch TV. When I’m at school I will not be caught watching Netflix or the TV at my house, but when I get home for breaks and the excuses to do other, more productive things are absent, I can’t stop. A Netflix tab is perpetually up on Internet browser because I can’t seem to click out of it and I see the question, “Are you still watching _______?” more than I see other people. Maybe it’s my need to be instantly gratified that makes me binge-watch, or maybe it’s my mind telling me I needed this relaxation.
I know I’m not the only one, and there has to be a reason for why we binge-watch TV. Psychology Today published an article about the science behind binge watching, and a study by anthropologist Greg McCracken made him conclude that, “Despite our hectic, digitally-driven lifestyles and 140-character social interactions, we’re actually craving the long narratives that today’s best television series can provide.”
Binge watching a show on Netflix years after it aired is not preferable for TV show creators, but it revives shows that get bad ratings the first time around, such as Arrested Development. I had never heard of the show while it was airing, but when it came to Netflix I got hooked and watched every episode. Since then, a fourth season has aired on Netflix and there is talk about a fifth season or a movie. Binge watching reincarnated Arrested Development and was the saving grace for Breaking Bad. In an article on The Daily Beast about why we binge watch TV, the author quotes the creator of Breaking Bad, Vince Gillian, who says, “I think Netflix kept us on the air. I don’t think our show would have lasted beyond Season Two.” Shows that don’t receive rave ratings the first time around get a second shot once they hit Netflix.
I can attribute my obsession with binge watching to the time I got my wisdom teeth taken out. I have never been one to lie on the couch all day, but for the first few days that was all I could do, and so I proceeded to watch half of Gossip Girl in a week. I never wanted to watch just one episode again, and when I was done with Gossip Girl I started to binge-watch Friday Night Lights.
There is no explanation for my attention span is approximately five seconds yet I can watch three hours of Jane the Virgin in one sitting. I am constantly doing different activities, and when I have responsibilities I don’t desire to watch TV. By definition I am not an addict, but my TV watching habits when I’m on winter or summer break suggest otherwise. With college students especially, our minds are racing constantly and we cram too much information into our brains, so it makes sense that we crave something so mindless when we get the chance. Netflix’s decision to keep the episodes playing without the touch of a button for a few episodes has been the bane of my existence, but also a convenient innovation. Will this trend of binge watching foster within us a greediness and impatience that didn’t exist in the days of cable TV? Or will it ultimately change TV and society for the better? I guess we will have to continue watching to find out.
