Why Do I Watch What I Watch?

This week in class, we discussed reasons why people tend to watch certain TV shows. These reasons included:

• Parasocial relationships/identification with characters
• To be informed/educated
• Entertainment
• Coping mechanism: stress-reliever
• To enhance social relationships

As we talked, I found myself reflecting back on my favorite TV shows and what it is that makes a specific series "good" or "addicting" to me. On the first day of our media class, I chose Grey's Anatomy as my current, all-time favorite series, and I'm currently hooked on the series Switched at Birth. Naturally, I thought about these shows and asked myself if the above bullet points were relevant. 

Both shows have very relatable characters that I tend to identify with as they go through different crises and situations, and I feel like they're actually real people. 

Not all shows make me feel smarter or more educated, but these two do accomplish that goal. I have actually picked up on some basic ASL just from watching Switched at Birth, and I always feel like I know more about hospitals and medicine than I probably do from Grey's Anatomy - though I do feel that I'm more prepared for emergency situations and have a better idea of what to do when medical emergencies arrive. 

I definitely watch these shows as entertainment and as a coping mechanism. After a full day of class and three jobs, there's something truly relieving about plopping down on the couch with some food or a giant blanket and tuning into someone else's busy life and drama onscreen. 

When I first started watching these shows, my choice didn't have much to do with enhancing social relationships. However, since watching them, I have found other friends or encouraged my current friends who watch these shows. We now plan to watch certain shows together when they air or we discuss them together after we have all caught up.