Motivators of binge watching
Binge behaviour is the excessive consumption of an element on a brief time-frame to overcome
psychological distress or get psychological luxury (Greene and Maggs, 2017). Hence, the
excessive consumption of an item like alcohol is binge drinking, whereas the excessive
consumption of television programmes is binge-watching. Scholars attribute several motivators to
binge-watching. The motivators can either be psychological or physical (Sung et al., 2018).
However, most of the motivators are usually psychological as they aim at helping viewers attain a
sense of psychological satisfaction and gratification (Shim and Kim, 2018). Also, it is worth noting
that the motivators of binge-watching differ from individuals due to personal factors such as
preferences and moods. Discussed below in detail are some of the most common stimuli of
binge-watching.
First, there is the need to escape one’s realities. According to Jones and Piacentini (2018),
escapism is one of the most common motivators of binge-watching. The two authors assert that
most of the millennials seek to escape their realities through entertainment, which is achievable by
activities such as binge-watching. Also, Jones and Piacentini (2018) observe that binge-watching,
just like other binge behaviours, may result from experiences, such as trauma. For example, binge
drinking is usually attributed to factors such as depression and stress. Similarly, binge-watching
can be a result of an event, either physical or conceptual, that reminds the forces viewers to seek
a medium for escape (Jones and Piacentini, 2018). In this case, the medium for escape is usually
being watched. Moreover, television programmes and films usually provide viewers with a
connection that is delusional rather than real, therefore making them escape the world of reality
and dwell in fantasies while watching.