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A new study from the University of Georgia suggests binge-watching — watching many episodes of a TV series in one sitting or over a short period — may not always be as bad as it seems. Researchers found that watching shows or reading books in long stretches can make stories easier to remember and more likely to stay in people’s minds through imagination and daydreams.
Joshua Baldwin, lead author of the study and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Georgia, said, “Humans are storytelling creatures. One of the functions of narratives is the ability to satisfy motivations for things like connecting with other people, feeling autonomous and confident, and even security and safety. Stories have characters that fulfill these roles, and we can satisfy those needs through them.”
The research looked at what is called retrospective-imaginative-involvement (RII), a psychology and communication term describing how people continue mentally revisiting stories long after they finish them. Researchers say this can include replaying scenes in the mind, imagining alternate endings, daydreaming about fictional worlds, or emotionally reconnecting with characters after a show or book has ended. The study found that binge-watching or marathon reading sessions were more likely to spark RII compared to slower consumption. People who binge-watch and use stories as a form of escape were especially likely to engage in RII. Leisure time made RII stronger, while stress reduced it.
