Binging with TV

In our class discussion with Stevie over binge watching, it made me think about how much I binge watch as well as the type of content I’m consuming. Being a college student as well as a professional procrastinator, I always find myself starting new shows with my roommates and finishing seasons in one sitting. We will all sit down, log into Netflix, HBO GO, Hulu, etc. and find a random show that will consume the next 5 hours of our lives, sometimes even longer.

In the past, I as well as most people would watch a single episode of a show the days it came on because there was no way to watch multiple episodes other than purchasing a box set or season of a show. I can remember in the past sitting down each week to watch the new episode of Lost with my dad and be so let down when it ended because I wanted always know what happened next. When I first had access to every season of Lost online, I remember binge watching from the beginning to the end even though I had previously seen and known what was going to happen in the show.

There is something to me about having access and the ability to watch an episode of a series and be able to continue it until the end, and I think it mainly has to do with wanting to know what happens next. I see these series as just really long movies and I’m not fully satisfied until everything is wrapped up resolved.

On the other hand, I sometimes also find myself binge watching shows such as sitcoms that are episode by episode and not an ongoing series. Seinfeld is the first show that pops into my head. I have seen every episode too many times to count; yet I can go back and watch seasons at a time. I think this is because it is something I can watch and turn my brain off for a while and be entertained.