You might find it odd that anyone would recommend bingeing of any sort. We all know that moderation is always best. Nevertheless, I think there is good that can come from binge-watching your way through a season or even a series. Let us count the ways.
Binge-Watching Saves Time And Reduces Stress
I am not a doctor, nor have I looked up research on binge-watching. However, let’s think about some common traits across all types of shows. One of the traits every show has is a cliff-hanger or other hook to get you to watch the next episode. This can be stressful at times. You may even waste hours debating how the cliff-hanger will be resolved. When you binge your way through a series that time between cliff-hanger and resolution is minutes instead of days, weeks, or months. Do not get me started on the time spent skipping commercials that can be added back to your life.
This is where we see your stress reduced by not dwelling on the hook and that time saved as well. You also will have less time to fret about parts of the season or series. A resolution will come fast enough to move you on to other themes of the show. It makes a season more like an episode or a book where you can spend time on big-picture enjoyment.
Bingeing in Moderation
We cannot go through this episode without some suggestions for moderation. There are ways you can binge with a smaller time invested. You can spread your binge out over several nights or weekends. I know this is not a real binge, but it can still be a binge of your free time when you have very little. This approach also allows you to catch shows you feel you need to see (Stranger Things, Game Of Thrones, all those Marvel shows) without being irresponsible. We all have things to do, and sometimes those preclude a real binge. That is ok. We can always have a faux-binge to keep up with the latest in entertainment and pop-culture.
