Written By Gayathri Unnikrishnan

A quick definition for those who may not be familiar with the term binge watching: for our purposes, a binge-watcher is someone who watches more than three episodes of a television series in one sitting.

In recent times, binge-watching has received a bad rap but recent research has shown that there are positive benefits to it as well, when done intentionally. We’ll dive into the good, the bad and the ugly of binge-watching in this edition of the newsletter. And hopefully, this will help you build healthy habits and rid feelings of guilt when you are 7 episodes deep into a show at 3 am on a random Tuesday (been there done that).

As humans, we are drawn to stories and we have evolved from listening to them around the fire to watching them on screens. Getting immersed in a show is a form of escapism, and in centuries past reading books was the most common form of escapism.

Data from Netflix shows that 90% of people binged a show within a year of joining. With increasing stress, social and political conditions, escaping through watching a show (or a youtube channel) has become a socially acceptable form of addiction.

Indian filmmakers have long understood this, creating opulent "masala movies" with music, dancing, and fantastical scripts to provide a reprieve from the daily grind.

In fact, I just watched a fun masala movie (Pathaan) last weekend and I am seriously considering rewatching it since it was the perfect escape.

Impact on well-being

Researchers have categorized binge-watching into two- accidental and distracted binge-watching, and planned, attentive watching. Accidental and distracted binge-watching often has negative effects whereas planned, attentive binge-watching very often has positive outcomes. This basically means that flopping in front of a show after work while scrolling on your phone is not good for you but scheduling time to watch a much awaited show can enhance your well-being. A lot of the research highlighting the negative aspects of binge-watching also alludes to the impact of watching negative or stressful content, the large amount of time spent sitting and the mindless snacking that occurs during that time.

However, if done intentionally, watching your favorite show can help reduce stress, provide comfort and build emotional strength. In psychology studies, researchers often ask study participants to watch an emotional scene and then ask them to re-appraise the situation- for example how could the characters do things differently, or imagine possible positive consequences.

Schedule time: People consistently report feelings of guilt in studies about binge-watching. To counter this, set aside enough time to watch your show, whether in one sitting (even if it is until 3 am) or spread out over days or weeks. This will increase anticipation while making sure you still have time for other activities.

Design your binge

• Set realistic time limits: Start small and work your way up. If you are used to watching two hours a day, don’t set a time limit of 15 minutes. Start with an hour and a half and have a plan right after, whether it is calling your friend or taking your dog out.

• Schedule a post watch discussion: In 2019, during the last season of Game of Thrones, my colleagues (at the time) and I would meet every week to discuss each episode (and how disappointed we were with it). It helped us connect and learn about each-other's perspectives. It was also a wonderful way to start the week.

• Escape while exercising: Assign a show you love to watch while exercising to start a workout habit. This is a tried and tested way to increase activity levels and get in more cardio.

• Watch international shows: International shows are an excellent way of learning about new cultures and social norms (and fashion!), while broadening your perspective. Check out this list if you are looking for your next watch.

• Comfort watching: If you are looking for a dose of comfort and are feeling overwhelmed, watch an old favorite show.

• Re-appraise dramatic scenes: Studying scenes and characters as though they are real can help increase your empathy, help you navigate strong emotions and train your brain to think positively. For example, is there anything a character could have learned from a challenging situation? What is the absolute best case scenario in a dire scene? What advice would you give the character if they were your friend?

• Accept perspectives: A key tenet of mindfulness is acceptance without judgement. While watching show, try to see things from the perspective of your least favorite character. Yes, even if it is Prince Joffrey

Disclaimer

Needless to say, none of this will work if you are scrolling on your phone while "watching" your show 🙃. In fact, switching between media can lead to poor memory and attention. So, pick your screen. And use only one!

Get flourishing,

 Gayathri