Researchers explain why we’re back to watching shows we’ve already watched several times

The development of technologies today allows that, with a few clicks, we can watch hundreds of series and movies anywhere and anytime. But for some reason, despite having at our disposal a large number of productions to see, we often end up always choosing the same ones, even though we have already seen them on more than one occasion. Is it an addiction issue? What is hidden behind this behavior?

This is not fanaticism, but a scientifically proven issue. Therefore, the awesome.club investigated the matter and decided to share with you the reasons that lead someone to review the same series several times, until they get tired.

Finally, Friday arrives, the long-awaited weekend begins and, for many, there is no better program than staying at home, in pajamas and slippers, relaxing in the company of the TV. In this regard, some studies claim that, as long as the habit does not interfere with our tasks or our social life, watching series is a fun way to relax the mind.

The same study explains that, when we are willing to watch a series with attention, dopamine levels increase in our body, causing in the brain a feeling of enthusiasm and “reward” for being exactly where we want to be. Watching series also activates serotonin, known as the “happiness hormone”, as it contributes to good mood and momentary joy.

And while it’s also fun to feel all these emotions with a show we’ve never seen before, some people get more pleasure going back to seeing a story they already know. But why does this happen?

According to a study by the University of Chicago, one of the reasons behind this attitude is homesickness. Psychologist Neel Burton argues that going back to watching a show we’ve already seen, in a way, takes us back to the context we were in when we were first viewers of that production.

Unconsciously, that sense of nostalgia is appealing, not just because it gives us a chance to reminisce about the show, but because it allows us to get back in touch with a way of life that is in the past. That is why, at times, reviewing old episodes is like “visiting an old friend” and reliving memories.

Following the previous logic, marketing professor Cristel Russell states that there is also a stimulus, on the part of industries, to the habit of re-consumption, which is the voluntary and repeated consumption of the same experience, without this being characterized as a dependence . The professional also says that market experts try not only to offer new experiences, but also try to make that previous experiences can be seen from new perspectives to continue arousing interest.

The University of Chicago study also concluded that the reason we tend to repeat past experiences, such as re-watching a series, is the need to validate a certain feeling or belief that makes us feel safe.

In fact, this study demonstrates that such an attitude has therapeutic implications, since going back to watching a series is not something uncomfortable for the viewer, it is more the search for a new experience that induces reflection on oneself and a new reading of everything that has already been lived. The same impulse applies not only to series, but also to movies and books that we like and that continue to pique our interest.

The same research also addresses the logic behind the desire to review the same series just because “we like it a lot” or because we need to see better the details that we didn’t pay attention to before. One of the factors for our need to watch what we’ve already watched is nothing but self-indulgence.

Following a plot whose unfolding we already know, makes our brain not have to work as much as it certainly had to do when we saw the same production for the first time. And let’s be honest: often the only thing we want is to lie on the couch and relax, without having to demand too much from our neurons.

Did you identify with the results of these studies? Is there a series you love to review? Comment!