”Binge Watching” and the Gambling of Time

"Binge watching" is suspected of influencing a person's productivity. We are advised to be wary of it.

KOMPAS/FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN

Illustration. Residents look for Christmas-themed films in Jakarta, Friday (15/12/2023).

Binge watching, the activity of watching a large number of series or films at one time, is now popular among young people. Many people do it to relieve fatigue from their busy lives. Even though it is often considered entertainment, its relationship with productivity is often debated.

”Movie Marathon Time!”

That's what Sandra Gita Dewina (21) always writes in her Instagram story uploads every time she ends the day by streaming a series. Routinely, this student who is familiarly called Gita spends time watching series or films on streaming video-on-demand (VoD) services.

Also read: The Fun of Watching "Streaming" Don't Let It Become "Binge Watching"

Just by opening your laptop or tablet, you can watch shows for hours without needing to press any buttons on the remote. This movie marathon activity is also called binge watching. "Starting from dramas that make you baper to action which is really exciting. "Sometimes, I also like to watch longer series, so I can see the character's journey from start to finish," said the Communication Science student at Gunadarma University.

So, I don't spend money, and I don't waste a lot of energy leaving the house.

He covers various genres of films and series. If the show is in the form of a film, Gita needs more time to move on so that she feels it is enough to watch just one film in one day. However, if it is a series, it can take longer to watch more than one episode. Gita also often re-watches series she has watched.

Not without reason. This activity is thought to help him escape from feelings of loneliness. For Gita, who is alone in her boarding house, she considers this activity to be the cheapest alternative to kill boring time. "So, I don't spend money, and I don't waste a lot of energy leaving the house," he said.

KOMPAS/FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN

Illustration. Residents look for Christmas-themed films in Jakarta, Friday (15/12/2023).

In line with Gita, binge watching is also familiar to Bayu Putra Negara (21). He first binge watched when he was in junior high school (SMP). To be precise, since he discovered the series Game of Thrones in 2016. Since then, Bayu has realized that he really likes fantasy genre series that highlight politics. As a result, he managed to complete the series with 8 sessions.

”In fact, whenGame of Thrones was still going on, I was still at school, right? "Well, I feel like I want to rush home, ha-ha-ha...," said the final semester student of Sociology at Brawijaya University, Thursday (25/4/2024).

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According to Bayu, the shows that most often make him binge watch are those that have a cliffhanger ending. For him, a show becomes interesting when the story makes him curious so that he can feel like he is included in the atmosphere of the series. Apart from that, like Gita, the series that Bayu often watches now are not just one genre.

This is also felt by Firqin Najmi Saffanah, a final semester student of Social Welfare Sciences at the University of Indonesia. His hobby of watching Korean dramas (drakor) since middle school continues to this day. However, now, he only binge watches Korean dramas when he has free time, such as during semester breaks.

”When I'm on holiday, I can watch 5–8 episodes in one day. "Drakor, right, one episode lasts around 1 hour 20 minutes, so I can watch up to a maximum of 10 hours a day," he said, Wednesday (24/4/2024).

Well, if it's like that, getting your sleep hours back to normal is quite difficult.

This habit seems to be ingrained into a new lifestyle. Firqin revealed that even though he doesn't binge watch on weekdays, he usually still makes time to watch one episode before going to bed. That way, he can fall asleep in a more relaxed and comfortable state.

”Watch Korean dramas to feel happy, really. "I want to have good and positive thoughts before going to bed, at the end of the day after a tired day at work or college," said Firqin.

Influence productivity

Without hesitation, young people can spend the whole night streaming these videos. Even though they are still busy the next day, the streaming activity seems to be an addiction for them.

Like Gita, which switches from one episode to another almost overnight. "It's really addictive, because every episode definitely makes you curious about what to do next," said Gita enthusiastically.

Nevertheless, this does not mean that they do not have responsibilities during the day. This pattern of activity has become a habit that disrupts sleep patterns and routines.

BENEDIKTUS KRISNA YOGATAMA

Illustration. People want to watch the David Beckham documentary on Netflix

In its influence on productivity, Gita often wakes up later because she stayed up all night watching shows. Activities in the morning are rushed and not optimal. She feels this because she often doesn't focus on her work. Even Gita always finishes her work quickly because she wants to hurry and watch the continuation of the episodes of the show she's watching.

Regarding sleep patterns, Firqin agrees. As a result of binge watching, he feels that his sleep pattern during holidays tends to be messy. Because I stayed up until dawn to watch, I woke up later in the day. "Well, if it's like that, getting your sleep hours back to normal is quite difficult," he said.

Meanwhile, contrary to what some people think, for Bayu, binge watching does not always have a negative impact on productivity. By watching, he actually learned many new things.

According to Bayu, even if you watch a fantasy genre film or series, there are often still unique facts about real life that can be found there. In fact, he also trains his foreign language skills through binge watching.

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"Since middle school, when watching tuh I have started using English subtitles all the time. "So, by watching, I hone my English skills too," he said.

However, Bayu still realizes that the impact of binge watching is real. Therefore, he always prioritizes his obligations as a student over entertainment such as watching movies.

ARSIP KAMILA MEILINA

Several films that are often watched when binge watching.

"While there are responsibilities that can be completed, I will complete them first. "So, make binge watching a kind of gift from yourself to yourself," he said.

Realizing this, Gita also began to set limits on her hobby of watching TV series. She started implementing a new pattern in her watching habits to avoid disrupting her other daily activities.

”I make a stricter schedule for watching and limit the time for watching. "For example, I set it myself if I only watch for two hours or three episodes per day," he said.

It cannot be denied, watching a series of series and films can make you feel happy. However, if it is done too often, binge watching can backfire on our productivity and health. So, don't get so engrossed in binge watching that you forget about other activities, okay?

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This article is the result of collaboration with intern students at Kompas:

• Kamila Meilina, Social Anthropology Student, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Indonesia
• Chelsea Anastasia, Journalism Student, Faculty of Communication Sciences, Padjadjaran University