By: Gwyneth Cable
How many times have you said, “Just one more episode!” and then the next thing you know you’re finishing the final episode in a season of a show you just started yesterday? For me, it’s happened too many times to count. In a world where streaming services releasing all episodes at once is now the norm, committing to shows where you will have to wait on new episodes to drop can seem pointless. But actually, watching shows on weekly release schedules can be more beneficial to you than binge watching.
Motivation and Anticipation
College can be a struggle. Sometimes the large workload can feel so overwhelming that it’s hard to force yourself to get your work done. Having an episode of a show come out weekly at a specific time can give you the motivation to get as much work done as you can. That way, you know you’ll be able to take the time when your favorite show airs to enjoy it. On Sundays and Mondays I try to get as much of my work done for the beginning of the week as I can, that way I know I’ll be able to enjoy WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” since it airs for a set amount of time.
Anticipation gives you something to work towards. Just having a set goal or event can help you persevere when you want to give up. Knowing something you enjoy will be released soon can help you power through and make it to that day and time. Having a show to unwind to at a certain time motivates you to get work done and lets you anticipate a reward you know you’ll enjoy.
Stay Productive
Oftentimes a quick break from school work can turn into hours. You said you’d watch one short episode of a show and then get back to work, but then the episode ends on a cliffhanger and you just have to watch more. If all the episodes of a show aren’t out, you don’t even get the option to keep watching!
When binge-watching isn’t an available option, you’ll have time to focus on other tasks. You can get schoolwork done, try new hobbies, or spend time socializing with others. You’ll have more time to dedicate to you and your goals instead of getting distracted by television.
Lasting Community
A trend I’ve noticed is how much excitement builds before a new season of a show gets released, just for the hype to die down within the first few weeks of it being out. Everything that can be analyzed and discussed is talked about right after the release, so with nothing else to discuss, the fandom mostly disappears until more content drops.
With weekly releases, there is something new coming out every week. There’s more for fans to talk and theorize about. Anticipation for the next episode is high so the conversations keep happening. Two of my favorite shows to witness this with were Marvel Studios’ Disney+ shows “WandaVision and Agatha All Along.” There was so much to discuss in between every episode, so all of my social media homepages were flooded with skits, theories, summaries, and opinions on each new episode. With the shows taking months to fully come out, media coverage and fanbase engagement for the shows lasted longer than those that dropped all episodes at once.
Fandoms can create real and lasting connections between fans. Having friendships where you have similar interests is vital to personal success. You know you’ll have people to turn to for help or someone to go to when you just have to talk about the crazy way that finale ended. When shows slowly release episodes, there is more time to form these valuable relationships.
The next time you want to start a show, see what shows haven’t fully released yet. Waiting for episodes to release gives you so much more time to process what you’ve watched, gives you something to look forward to, helps you stay focused, and connects you with a large community. Finding ways to prevent yourself from binge-watching will open you up to new shows and help you lead a balanced life.