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The Art of Binge Watching

by Kayla Miracle

The dictionary defines binge watching as "the practice of watching multiple episodes of a television program in rapid succession, typically by means of DVDs or digital streaming." Today, watching TV & the method of how you watch TV has become a sport, a real specific art, if you will. Though the traditional ways of watching TV still exist (yes, people still watch shows from week to week - no, the wait & anticipation isn't as horrible as it sounds), there is new found excitement, and perhaps, competition, in watching a series-formatted television show in as little as one sitting.

 

This is the art of binge watching.

what are you 

watching?

Memes created with imgflip.com. Photos courtesy of Google Images.

HOW TO BINGE

pressPAUSE 

2017's binge-worthy TV by the numbers

In a survey of 200+ people, ranging in ages from 13 to 71, Knucklehead News reporter Kayla Miracle got the scoop on what people are watching in this age of immense TV consumption, how they're watching it, and why they keep watching.

Press pause, take a moment & tune in to the data below: 

What's this about?

It's important to think about just how big & vastly talked about the TV industry is. Where most people watch shows because they actually enjoy them, there's also a handful of people who are watching things that are a part of pop culture, just to stay knowledgable on what people are talking about these days. Let's hear it for those people!

2017's best shows to binge watch

#1.

#2.

11.96%

of voters said "Grey's Anatomy"

11.96%

of voters said "Stranger Things"

7.18%

of voters said "Game of Thrones"

7.18%

of voters said "Friends"

#3.

4.78%

of voters said "The Office"

sTREAM IT, WATCH IT,

LIVE IT

The binge watching phenomenon might be most closely related to the rise of streaming services, but that doesn't mean that's the only place people are watching TV these days. Since it's creation in 1997, Netflix has formed a huge following which correlates to the information in the graph on the right. It's addition of streaming services in 2007 has led it to it's current, whopping total of 99 million subscribers globally (CNN Tech). Streaming services, such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc. offer the ghosts of TV's past & images of TV's future with original shows limited to their services (think "Orange Is the New Black," "Stranger Things," "The Mindy Project," etc.). However, as we can see with the survey results many watchers & lovers of TV are still watching the old fashioned way - cable.

an EVOLUTION OF tv WATCHING

Streaming services haven't always been around, but that's not to say there hasn't been other means of watching your favorite show over and over again or deciding what it is you want to watch & when you want to watch it.

Check out how we got to where we are today below:

when you love it, you love it

Sometimes it doesn't matter how many times you've seen that one episode of "Friends" where Rachel & Ross finally get together - it just gets better and sweeter every time. In this graph, the results prove that the newest shows aren't the only things being watched in today's TV consumption -- sometimes all you need is to reminisce & get lost with your favorite characters in your favorite shows.

 

In fact, in 2014 The Atlantic followed a study that conducted research on consumer behavior. While trying to determine why so many people prefer their "entertainment stuck on repeat" they came to the conclusion of four simple reasons. 1. People rewatch things because, and drum roll please, they like it. 2. Rewatching brings nostalgia. 3. The process of watching something over again can be therapeutic - not much thinking or resolving has to be done when you already know what happens. 4. There's a sense of existensial magic in watching something over again that connects your past, present, and future selves (say it with me, "WOAAAH!").

Whatever the reason, it's safe to say that the majority of people don't mind a little rewind every now and again.

why are we doing this?

...And how in the world did I just watch 12 episodes in one sitting?

When wanting to tune into your favorite shows, you used to have to plan it out way in advance. TV Guides & newspapers would offer listings for when things would be airing on cable television (*SIDENOTE: they still do this, only now it's mostly found online rather than the archaic print magazine format), and you could decide what it was you wanted to see & when you were going to tune in. With a helpful source like that, you would never miss an episode of "I Love Lucy." 

 

Which reminds me...

Like watching marathons of TV reruns? You can thank Lucille Ball for that one. It's said that during her pregnancy, CBS resorted to replaying episodes, so she wasn't required to do as much filming. And thus, the 'rerun' was born!

Check the Guide

Streaming Services, for the win

Make sure you rewind the tape

Don't scratch my DVD!

Where's the remote?

(Yes it does!) Although, in theory, you could binge your favorite shows on VHS after you recorded them, binge watching made it's most convenient first appearance with TV on DVD. By purchasing full seasons of your favorite shows on DVD, there's no tellin' how many episodes you could go through in one sitting. The only thing you have to worry about is that you don't scratch up the disc - nothing's worse than a disc that doesn't play or one that skips on the best scene of the series (THE HORROR!).

Now that you know exactly when your shows are airing, you can set them to record with your VHS player. First introduced in the United States in 1977, the VHS system has everything you need to make sure you never miss your show - or, thanks to "I Love Lucy," a rerun marathon of your favorite shows. (Wait, so does that mean it's time to binge watch??!!)...

In 2000 DirecTV & Philips partnered to bring one of the most pivotal methods of On Demand TV today to life. TiVo, our first DVR (digital video recorder) system made its way to the homes & hearts of millions of users - proving that the digital age was among us. Although TiVo is virtually gone from most households in 2017, almost all cable plans these days come with a DVR service. Now you don't need that VHS player anymore & forget commercials - those things are a thing of the past.

It's the services we all know & love, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, you name it. Streaming is the TV of the present & truly the way of the future. According to an interview with Adweek, Hulu's SVP & Head of Experience Ben Smith says that personalization and putting the viewer & audiences in control is at the forefront of concern at these streaming companies, and is also why streaming does so well. ""Consumers are expecting experiences tailored to their needs," Smith said. "Hulu, Spotify, Amazon-all these companies are working to empower the consumer."" And empower us they do - with streaming, what we watch, how we watch, and how much we watch is all up to us. TV has never been so accessible.

Call me crazy, but I believe TV to be one of the most important aspects of everyday life. Think of it like a vegetable, you know, like when adults used to tell you that eating your carrots would give you X-ray vision, and maybe if you ate enough of that broccoli on your plate you’d be just like Spider Man. Except now, think of it like this: you’re watching your favorite show, you’re laughing until you cry, crying until you laugh; you’re anticipating every next scene. You have escaped reality for just enough time to really make a difference in your life and in your behavior. How’s that for a superpower, Mom and Dad?

 

In today’s world, watching TV and what you’re watching is as prevalent a topic as ever. It’s important to stay knowledgeable on what’s being talked about, how the television of today is shaping our pop-culture-dependent world. It’s, here’s that vegetable comparison again, a superpower. And with all of the buzz that surrounds watching that hot, new drama or re-watching your favorite 90s comedy, comes an important question – how fast are you watching it?  

 

‘Binge watching’ is the term coined to typically answer that question. I started the series yesterday, so I’ll probably finish tomorrow night. Ah, I only have 4 more episodes – I know what I’m doing tonight. Only one more episode, only one more episode, only one more episode. It has become all too normal to finish an entire series-formatted television show in just a matter of a couple of days. In a study done by PBS, actress Annabelle Gurwitch, discusses this type of behavior as the “new normal,” but doesn’t necessarily think it’s a good or bad thing – it’s just how we’re wired to act.

 

“See, our brains love anticipation, and producers reel you in with cliffhangers. But the excitement doesn’t last, and we need more stimulation, like hamsters on a wheel. So, when new episodes load seamlessly, you end up watching more than you intended,” Gurwitch said.

 

So, is that it? Are we just little balls of fur running for our lives on our little toy wheel until we’re 10, 11, 12 episodes deep, and feeling like we still need more? Possibly. But, it’s not as hopeless as it sounds. In fact, it’s very exciting.

 

Television creators everywhere are giving us some of the best content we’ve ever seen. Kids in the 1980s disappearing into the “Upside Down”; Dr. Meredith Grey still kicking major surgeon ass after being run ragged for the past 14 years; superheroes everywhere; Jon Snow. We are knee deep in the shiniest, most exquisite Golden Age of television, so who cares if we’re watching an entire series in one sitting? This stuff rocks.

 

In a compelling defense of binge watching, Dr. Elizabeth Cohen, an assistant professor at West Virginia University, told The Conversation just why it’s perfectly ok to indulge on television in this way.  

 

“I’ve learned that even though watching TV gets a bad rap as the “junk food” of media diets, it can be good for you – as long as you give yourself permission to indulge.”

 

Cohen goes on to praise the intense storylines and complex characters that are on television today. TV is good and wanting to “gorge,” as Cohen says, on these stories is a normal reaction and can be insanely satisfying.

 

“When individuals binge watch, they are thought to have what’s called a “flow experience.” Flow is an intrinsically pleasurable feeling of being completely immersed in a show’s storyline. In a flow state of mind, viewers intently focus on following the story and it’s easier for them to lose awareness of other things, including time, while they’re wrapped up in viewing.”

 

Need to unwind after a long day at work? Procrastinating on getting that final project turned in? Throwing on your favorite TV jam can be just the recharge and motivation your brain battery needs.

 

As far as I know, carrots still haven’t given anyone X-ray vision and eating my broccoli has yet to turn me into anything more than an admirer of Peter Parker’s spidey-instincts. However, watching TV, largely in copious amounts, has given me an outlet – to escape to, to connect with other people, to admire characters and stories other than my own. There’s no doubt, that is as good a superpower as any.  

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