My Netflix list is full of exciting TV shows and movies that I intend to watch one day, yet whenever I have some extra time, I always turn to the ones I’ve watched too many times already. So why is that? Well, there is actually a ton of research out there that uses psychology to show why humans are creatures of habit, even when it comes to simple tasks such as watching television. Below are three of the main points I believe show this idea best.
Cognitive Overload
Our working memory is a cognitive system with a limited capacity that can hold information temporarily. When there is too much stress put on this, we go into cognitive overload. Our memory is a limited source, and there comes a time where it just can’t handle anymore. An example of this is the Covid-19 pandemic. During this time we had to make many difficult decisions, plus we had to draw our attention to new things such as Zoom meetings, online classes, and so on. After all of this, we don’t want to put anything new on our plate by starting a new TV show. It might seem small, but we watch television to wind-down, and watching something new takes more energy than you might think.
Familiarity
Watching TV shows takes energy because we need to pay close attention to new storylines and characters, this can be exciting, but it can also be stressful. This relates to something called the exposure effect, which basically states that the more times we are exposed to something, the more we start to like it. The more times we watch a show, the less we need to pay attention, and the less stressful it gets. Therefore, in order to relax, we go back to things that are familair to us.
Control
It is true that we use TV for distraction, but we also use it for satisfaction. There are so many things in life we cannot control, so when we rewatch old shows and we know what happens, it gives us a little bit of control back. Specifically, when we feel depleted in life, we need to have a feeling of self-control to restore the negative emotions we have because of things such as stress. We also don’t like wasting the limted time we have to ourselves, so by choosing something we know we will enjoy, we are not at risk of that.
Now you know not only why you tend to opt for the obvious, but also that you are not alone in the matter. So watch your favorite soapy dramas without shame, and whenever you are up for it, you can finish that Netlix list. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find another comfort show you enjoy enough to rewatch a thousand times.