“‘I need to stop,’ I whispered to myself as I clicked the next episode.” This popular meme has described all of us at one point or another when we binge-watch a good show.

Between the years 2013 to 2016, the term ‘binge-watching’ increased in popularity, and in 2020–for obvious reasons –the term spiked in popularity according to google trends. With shows becoming available on streaming services along with services releasing their own original shows, binge-watching has never been easier, thus allowing people to indulge in escapism. 

Escapism, according to Oxford Languages, is “the tendency to seek distraction and relief from unpleasant realities, especially by seeking entertainment or engaging in fantasy.” While it’s generally agreed that the act of indulging in escapism isn’t harmful in moderate amounts, when a person indulges in escapism in an unhealthy amount, it becomes a problem. 

Indulging in escapism nowadays looks less like reading a book, and more like binging a show, playing a video game, or scrolling endlessly through social media. “The best way to escape is through your phone,” an anonymous student said. While reading a book isn’t seen as a harmful way of escapism it still holds problems when indulged in too often. Over-indulging in escapism can lead to poor sleep, a reduction of social life, and an increased sedentary life. Despite these harmful effects, the media knows that viewers seeking escapism are a demographic that’s invaluable.

According to Statista, the genres in highest demand are those of the comedy and drama variety, while horror, reality, and educational media are least in demand. Networks and streaming services have noticed these trends, as over half of Netflix’s 2022 show releases were of the drama genre.

Due to the recency of escapism via media, few studies have been conducted on the subject, though researchers typically agree that escapism behaviors are usually spurred on by loneliness and poor coping mechanisms. One study conducted by Frontiers in Psychology found that the connection to characters in media was strongly correlated with escapism and other behaviors such as dysfunctional relations and withdrawal symptoms. 

With the global pandemic, loneliness levels have been on the rise. A Harvard study suggests that ’”36% of all Americans feel seriously lonely.” With so many people feeling lonely, there are increases in the amount of  people partaking in escapist behavior as people seek comfort in characters; comfort they can’t find in real life.  

While unhealthy amounts of escapism may be caused by loneliness and dissatisfaction with reality, “it’s all right to indulge in escapism in healthy amounts.” It can give us a way of finding enjoyment when we may struggle to find it in the real world. Indulging in escapism is a natural behavior and doesn’t have to become an unhealthy habit but rather a fun activity to enjoy from time to time. 

Sources:

“Loneliness in America: How the Pandemic Has Deepened an Epidemic of Loneliness and What We Can Do About It” by Richard Weissbourd, Milena Batanova, Virginia Lovison, and Eric Torres | Making Caring Common

“Loneliness, Escapism, and Identification With Media Characters: An Exploration of the Psychological Factors Underlying Binge-Watching Tendency” by Alessandro Gabbiadini, Cristina Baldissarri, Roberta Rosa Valtorta, Federica Durante, Silvia Mari | Frontiers in Psychology

“Most popular digital original series genres based on audience demand in the United States in 2021” by Julia Stoll | Statista

Google Trends

Oxford Languages