The Psychology Behind Binge Watching

We have all been there — transformed into the ultimate couch potato for hours on end watching that new documentary just released on Netflix (Tiger King anyone?).

Netflix eventually decides to give you that shameful “are you still there?” reminder and you realise how much time has passed. Even so, you press play to continue.

If lucky, your binge stops at a 5 hour documentary coming to an end. For those of you who binge watch Game of Thrones every season, I take my hat off to you. I’m impressed.

The art of binge watching has become an increasingly popular hobby with all the new streaming services that are readily available. Netflix, Stan, Hulu — the list goes on. You can access streaming services just about anywhere; on your phone, computer, tablets. If you’re anything like me and mooch off of your parents’ Netflix account, it’s free.

Netflix themselves boast that 70% of their viewers admit to binge watching shows. 73% of those that binge watch feel good about it and that 37% binge watch at work (had to include that one). The world of media binge viewing has never been so convenient.

But with all of this new media and technology becoming increasingly sophisticated, do we have a handle on how it affects our overall wellbeing?

What motivates us to do something when we may end up feeling guilty?

Something we even sometimes regret doing.

Why do we continue to spend hour after hour indulging in episode after episode?

Research can give us an idea of the psychology behind what motivates us to sit through all of Breaking Bad at 2 am.

At what point are you binge watching?

How long do you have to be engrossed in a show before you’re considered to be binge watching?

According to Netflix binge watching is considered watching at least 2–6 episodes of a show in one sitting. In general, most research available agrees that more than two episodes consecutively is binge watching.

The problem with this is that watching the entire Lord of The Rings trilogy in one sitting would roughly equal to watch a whole season of Friends.

So should measuring be by time viewed or by the number of episodes?

Porque no las dos? — why not both? We should include multiple factors when measuring binge watching;

• amount of episodes
• viewing time
• type of program
• If the person is giving their full attention to the viewing

What makes us want to binge watch?

I’m not just talking about the fact that it’s Friday night, and you have absolutely nothing planned and so park yourself on the couch and catch up on Forensic Files. I’m talking about that feeling of curiosity when you try a new show on Netflix, and you get so engrossed that you lose all sense of reality. The main character becomes your actual identity and you are no longer yourself. It gets to 4 hours later and eight episodes in when you realise it’s the next day and you probably should go to bed — but you won’t, because one more won’t hurt.

Without delving into the depths of psychological theory and boring you to death, research suggests that the primary motivating factors are as such;

The need for social interaction

Have you ever been that one person in the group discussion that hasn’t seen that super popular show of the minute? Then there’s the awkward moment when you tell the group you haven’t seen it yet, and no one wants to spoil it, so the conversation goes blank. “You have to watch it!” they all say. Well, I guess you have no choice but to watch it now.

Social interaction can be a significant motivating factor for binge watching. Just like in this situation, people form connections by discussing common interests. Because of its overwhelming popularity, Netflix can be used as a conversation starter.

That need to be up-to-date with your friends might just convince you to start watching, and the urgency might persuade you to stay.

Hedonism

Hedonism is the pursuit of pleasure or self-indulgence. The theory of hedonism revolves around happiness coming from pleasure and the minimisation of pain. Planting yourself on the couch and eating ice cream, watching the Avengers movies would be pretty pleasurable and quite painless (for most of us). In short, Netflix makes us happy; we want to feel that happiness for longer, so we watch for longer.

An escape from reality

Sometimes we can feel a little stuck, stressed with life. Watching Netflix generally means its that time of the day when you get lost in the lives of fictional (or real) characters. You can leave whatever is bothering you for a few hours and just relax. Having that escape from reality can encourage binge watching as a form of destressing.

Emotions and empathy

When we get engrossed in Netflix, we tend to empathise with the characters. Empathy is the act of putting yourself in the shoes of others and feeling from their perspective.

It’s what makes us feel like crying when it comes to those tear-jerking moments.

How does empathy motivate binge watching? Hollywood notoriously uses cliff-hangers as a weapon against our empathetic feelings. As it turns out, we need to know what happens next, lead by our empathy.

Loss of control, and dependency

Loss of control is a negative motivating factor of binge watching. There is research that suggests that TV viewing, in general, can be addictive. Because we enjoy viewing our favourite shows, crossing the line of too much can become apparent and become an addiction.

When is it a Problem?

Most research points out the adverse effects that binge watching that it has on our lives. While there are some positive effects such as social interaction and empathetic learning, binge watching certainly can harm wellbeing if not regulated.

Procrastination

Netflix can influence procrastination habits. Sometimes I think the art of procrastination relies on Netflix to lure us in to not studying for that exam the next day.

Binge watching Harry Potter instead of finalising that big project for work won’t have a great outcome on our wellbeing. Perhaps it will give us a little pulse of happiness at the moment but can profoundly impact our future.

Avoidance

Rather than being an escape from reality, binge watching can turn into avoiding reality altogether. Escaping reality would be taking time out to destress and re-motivate for a task. In contrast, avoidance would be using Netflix as an excuse not even to start a task. Avoidance can lead to negative impacts on ones’ wellbeing.

Negative feelings

We have all most likely regretted watching something for too long at one point in time. Perhaps you even felt unproductive, like precious hours were wasted.

Along with regret, we can also feel a sense of loneliness and isolation when binge watching. Negative feelings can undoubtedly impact our mood.

Passion or addiction?

There is a distinction between passion and addiction. For example, you can watch hours of Netflix and still not let it impact how much work you get done. Or, you could watch hours of Netflix and not do anything for weeks on end.

The difference between passion and addiction relies on whether an action is giving you enjoyment or is ultimately distressing to the point of impacting your we wellbeing.

How much is too much?

I have inevitably accumulated a shameful amount of hours watching crime documentaries. Do I consider myself lazy? No. Do I fail to complete important tasks that need to get done? No.

Too much is relative to yourself. The things to ask yourself when questioning whether your binge watching an unhealthy amount are;

• whether or not it is causing you distress
• Are you avoiding something?
• How do you feel?
• Are you sleeping well?
• Are you isolating yourself?

What is at the heart of the psychology behind binge watching?

Motivating factors certainly play a huge role in pulling an all-nighter to finish Making a Murderer. Perhaps next time you feel the urge to click that next episode button, you might consider why that is.

What’s motivating you?

Is it to the benefit of your wellbeing?

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email: samantha@sammyhillwrites.com