The behavioral effects of the binge-watching mediamorphosis

Abstract

The introduction of the Internet changed most media. Newspapers moved online and onto social media, music moved to streaming services, and television moved to streaming video on demand. As television moved online, people have begun to binge?watch television shows. Binge-watching is the process of watching two or more episodes of a television show in a single sitting. This study explores how television?viewing habits have changed due to the digital mediamorphosis of television. Surveys and focus groups gathered data to find what motivates people to binge?watch television and how these motivations differ from watching television weekly. The research was based in uses and gratifications theory and cultivation theory. 127 undergraduates enrolled in introductory communication courses at Wichita State University took place in the study. The survey found statistically significant differences between binge?watchers and traditional watchers, and the focus groups explored if and how the two watching experiences differed. The study found that binge?watchers reported higher levels of entertainment, relationships with character, escapism, and basis for social interaction than traditional watchers. Because binge?watching involves watching a television show quickly, binge?watchers consume stories more quickly and find higher levels of entertainment, relationships with characters, escapism,and basis for social interaction through the narrative of the television show. Keywords: binge-watching, television, streaming video on demand (SVOD), digital mediamorphosis, linear television.