When binge-watching means ‘freedom’

Does boredom makes you snuggle in your bed and finish a complete season of your favourite TV series in one day? Then, my friend, you’re addicted to binge-watching.

Binge watching as a term was often used in the 90’s where the DVD’s comprised of all the seasons of a particular TV show. But now with the coming of Netflix, the prevalence of torrent downloads and YouTube where seasons are available, one is easily able to watch their favourite shows in one go.

But why is it that some people watch the whole season consisting of more than 10 episodes (half an hour long episodes) in one go? Ayush Madan, a third year college student from Indraprastha University said: “I have the patience to see the whole season in one day. The anticipation of what happens next in the plot of the particular series makes me impatient. It is hard to even wait for the next day’s sun to rise.”

For some, priorities are set where they have fixed their time for fun. Akash, an IT professional has fixed half an hour everyday to see his favourite TV show ‘Game of Thrones’. He said: “I do not want to fall sick binge watching TV shows for hours. I love watching the TV series but it is hard to just lay in your bed and watch them all in your laptop. I take my time and watch a TV series like it comes on TV, the only difference being that I pause and play when I like.”

Weekends are people’s only hope for some fun as the weekday’s grinding takes a toll on the soul. College students, office-goers and some of the enthusiasts are willing to give up on their sleep to watch certain shows. According to senior Psychologist Dr Vasantha R Patri, parents are to be blamed for such behaviour in their kids. She said: “When the child’s travelling and socialising becomes expensive for the parents and they refuse to send their adult dependent children to explore some other entertainment options, this continuous TV-series watching becomes the source of their entertainment and such exposure makes them addicted.”

It is also assumed that some TV shows create a kind of crisis in the heads of those binge viewers after a season ends and the new one is awaited and to this Dr Patri said: “TV show producers always have something new to give to the viewers so that they can get hooked on again and hence it becomes easy for an individual to move on from one TV show to another.”

But for a young DU student like Aishwarya, binge watching is the only source of freedom. She says, “I don’t care what people say but I feel a sense of loss when a series ends. Like people are still waiting for a Harry Potter Prequel, I am waiting for my favourite TV show. I don’t like to socialise much and hence my laptop with unlimited internet is my happiness.”