When most teenagers hear the term “binge watching,” most of their faces light up in recognition. Some will immediately blurt out their most impressive binge watch, “I watched all of Gossip Girl in three weeks” or “once I stayed in my bedroom for eight hours just watching Orange is the New Black.” It is not surprising that students know what the term means or are eager to share about their experiences.
Binge-watching, the act of watching multiple episodes consecutively, is a phenomenon that has become insanely popular in the past year. Usually using a source of instant online streaming, commonly Netflix, episodes are available to be viewed in immediate succession rather than spread out of the course of a week.
The appeal of binge-watching shows is the same of any sort of binging–immediate gratification of getting what you crave (and more) without having to wait for it. In a world where we are constantly waiting for something, it is incredibly refreshing to have several seasons of your favorite series at your fingertips, ready to watch whenever you are.
Binge-watching is popular with people from all demographics; there is truly a show for everyone. However, does the content of the show effect it’s binge-watching appeal? Although every genre has the potential to be binge-watched, suspenseful shows such as American Horror Story and Breaking Bad are extremely popular to binge-watch because viewers cannot wait to see what will happen the next episode. Sabina Kica watched all of American Horror Story, one of the most suspenseful series on Netflix, in a month. In nine days, James Amato breezed through the political drama House of Cards.
That’s not to say that sitcoms aren’t popular choices too. Funny, twenty-minute shows such as Modern Family or 30 Rock can be just addicting as suspenseful one-hour dramas because they are a fantastic stress reliever.
As fascinating as the whole concept of binge-watching is, the most interesting aspect of the epidemic is that the lack of shame that comes with it. When someone watches a whole series in a short (and quite frankly, concerning) amount of time, they do not feel disgusted with themselves; they feel proud. People take to social media outlets to brag about their binge-watching adventures. For instance, after this reporter watched five seasons of Parks and Recreation in a week, the first thing she did was fire off a tweet to make everyone aware of the “accomplishment.”
Binge-watching can be entertaining and an efficient way to catch up with a show, but make sure that you are binge-watching responsibly. Get up for food breaks and occasional social interaction, and do not start an engrossing series the night before a huge test. If you keep your general well-being in mind (and don’t feel too disgusted with yourself), joining the trend can be an enjoyable experience you can tweet about the next day.
Tina is the Executive Social Media Director, and in charge of managing Hawk Headlines. She has spent three full semesters here, and is heavily involved with theater. Tina describes herself as a "pop culture aficionado".
One time I watched nine seasons of a show in a month. 195 episodes. In 30 days. During school.