Binge Watching
Over the past year, I would think most of us would admit to some level of binge-watching television or movies or maybe playing a lot of video games. Though there was a drought of new content shortly after the pandemic first started, the months that followed brought some new series to watch (I can’t wait for the 2nd season of Ted Lasso for a start) and an opportunity to re-watch some old favorites (16 Candles, Breakfast Club…showing my age here) or watch TV series I missed the first time around (The 100, still have This is Us that’s on my list).
Why is this my topic for the blog? I’m sure I could get a lot of responses on the things that you watched that you loved or hated (and please do share those comments so I can curate my to-watch list), but my reason is really more about the why we sit down and binge watch or engage in hours of video game play.
Here are some of the reasons that come to mind for me…
Someone recommended you watch something and then you fall in love with it so keep watching
It’s your preferred learning vehicle…lots of good nature, science, home improvement shows out
It’s a rainy weekend day so it’s perfect to catch up on your watch-list
You’ve read all the books on your list and done all the puzzles in your house
It’s how you foster your creative juices…the art of the possible or just letting your brain run free
You need a break from reality
You are avoiding doing the things on your list that you feel like you need to or should do
The last two are why I’m writing this. Sometimes, we are just tired and need to not think about what what’s going on in our real world. Some of us go to science fiction or some to home shows or some to drama but quite often, the things we binge watch are just very different from our worlds…an escape. We may like to watch the perfect family or where the hero swoops in and saves the day or where other lives seem so much more dysfunctional than our own. The reason we pick what we pick is less important than the why we are picking anything. What are we escaping from – a bad interaction with someone, a job that drains us, a set of circumstances that are not improving? It’s time to figure out if this is a short-term situation that may be better when you wake up tomorrow or if you address it directly or if it’s a more systemic problem that will require you to create big change to address it. Either way, assess which one it is so you can decide how you want to handle it.
Why don’t you want to do the things on your list? Have you ever considered a “Want to Do” list in parallel with your “Need to Do” or “Should Do” lists? I find it powerful to really assess which list different activities really live on. When things are on your need to do or should do lists, assess what it would take for them to move to the “Want to Do” list. If there’s nothing that comes to mind, assess if you can just take them off the list totally. Now…anything related to your health and well-being, don’t take it off your list…just do it (schedule the doctor’s appointment, create the move-my-body-more plan, do the meditation). The well-being will help us navigate life’s challenges better than anything else.
Only you will know what’s driving the binge-watching, and each day may be a different reason. Watch for the patterns that start emerging. If the reasons you’re watching or playing are for healthier reasons, keep watching and share what you’re loving or hating. If the reasons are not as healthy, consider what new action you want to take.
Share your thoughts and your curated favorites!