We tend to gravitate towards binge watching when we experience more stress in our lives. But if you’re wondering why we crave fictional drama to replace the drama in our own lives, our brain chemistry has the answers. When you get home at the end of a crazy day or hang up the phone after an argument with your parents, whether you realize it or not, you still crave just the tiniest bit of stress. And what’s the perfect solution? Streaming television. Binge watching is a way for people to release their stress and watch other people’s lives. Just think about it, you’re watching your favorite show and your favorite character. You are taking a step into another person’s shoes besides your owns. It is a way to escape your real life and have no responsibilities. Binge watching is a drug for your brain.
According to Wayne Friedman in Media Post states that “Nearly three-quarters — 73% — of Americans said they binge-watched, according to a survey by Deloitte, including 90% of U.S millennials. Some 38% of those millennials also said they binge-watched every week.” Binge watching is taking over and reality tv is on a decline in society. Why watch one episode a week on tv live when you can sit down and watch 3-4 episodes. The most common reason for people to binge-watch is that they have free time. They are so addicted to watching the shows because they have “free time” no one really has this much free time even if they are a student or have a job because you should be focusing on your job or school work. This shows that people are lacking in their jobs and are wanting to watch shows instead. This relates to how binge-watching is like a drug because of the addicting sense of non stop watching of the shows. Like a drug addiction, a great TV show will become the center of your life. You will always be thinking about when you can watch the next episode. You try and fit them in throughout your day, and are always worried you won’t be able to watch enough. The fear of not having access to your show due to poor, or no WiFi, a dead battery, or any other reason will cause a great deal of anxiety.
According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American spends around 2.7 hours watching TV per day, this adds up to about 20 hours per week in total. As for the amount of binge-watching we’re doing, a Netflix survey found that 61 percent of users regularly watch between 2-6 episodes of a show in one sitting. A more recent study found that most Netflix members choose to binge-watch their way through a series versus taking their time — finishing an entire season in one week, on average. A good TV show can start to affect your life and usually not for the better. You begin to weigh everything you do against watching an episode. Should you go to class or watch “Game of Thrones”? A factor in this decision is always time, as an episode of TV is conveniently the same length as the class. Or if you have decided to go to class, usually because of clicker questions, should you take notes or get in an episode?
When binge-watching your favorite shows your brain is constantly producing dopamine, Phil Newton in psychology today says that “dopamine is a neurotransmitter, a chemical that is responsible for transmitting signals between the nerve cells of the brain.” Binge watching too much can affect your brain. You can still watch your favorite Netflix shows just be careful on how long and how often you watch your shows.
Binge watching is like a drug because it affects your brain and the decisions you make and the way that you think and see the world. This will manipulate your brain and can mess with you and affect your job. Remember that addiction changes the brain.
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