Binge-Watching

[Nebulous]

The first usage of the term “binge-watch” dates back to 2003, but the concept of watching multiple episodes of a show in one sitting gained popularity around 2012. Netflix’s 2013 decision to release all 13-episodes in the first season of House of Cards at one time, instead of posting an episode per week, marked a new era of binge-watching streaming content. In 2015, “binge-watch” was declared the word of the year by Collins English Dictionary, which said use of the term had increased 200% in the prior year.

73% of Americans admit to binge-watching, with the average binge lasting three hours and eight minutes. 90% of millennials and 87% of Gen Z stated they binge-watch, and 40% of those age groups binge-watch an average of six episodes of television in one sitting.

The coronavirus pandemic led to a sharp increase in binge-viewing: HBO, for example, saw a 65% jump in subscribers watching three or more episodes at once starting on Mar. 14, 2020, around the time when many states implemented stay-at-home measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.

A 2021 Sykes survey found 38% of respondents streamed three or more hours of content on weekdays, and 48% did so on weekends. However, a Nielsen study found adults watched four or more hours of live and streaming TV a day, indicating individuals may be underestimating their TV consumption.

How do you feel about binge watching? Do you do it?

 

[Shawn Gossman]

I don't anymore because I rarely watch TV.

I used to binge-watch LOST, Person of Interest, Fringe, etc.

What got me to quit was right when the series was getting good, they'd cancel. I just didn't want to waste my time anymore, LOL.

 

[Nebulous]

I don't really have time to binge watch. I can do maybe 2 or 3 episodes of something in a day max. If I had more free time then yeah, nothing wrong with it. There is something to be said about getting a show once a week. Builds more anticipation and gives you a chance to really digest and think about each episode before you see the next one.

 

[Tracy]

Very few shows do I binge watch... Andromeda was one, Supernatural was another. Of course, most of the major SF shows I keep going back to time and time again (Babylon 5, Star Trek DS9, Firefly, etc)

 

[Juneberry]

I mostly binge-watch things with my dad when I'm hanging out with him, and I'm always only ever half paying attention. We binge simple cartoons and anime that are easy to just keep on in the background because we've seen them a dozen times. Normally we don't binge things at all... Well, unless we're behind on shows because I wasn't up to watching them for a couple weeks. But that rarely happens.