Friends, The Office, New Girl, How I Met Your Mother, Parks and Recreation – these are just some of the shows we watch on repeat, no matter the occasion.
Nothing beats coming home, snuggling under your blanket with a hot drink and switching on the TV to watch Friends after a long day! If you fall into this category, you’re not alone! The pandemic has changed our viewing habits, nothing wrong with that!
Fun fact: Although the final season of The Office aired back in 2013, it clocked in 87.28 billion minutes of viewership in 2020 alone. Seven years later, viewers are still tuning in to their favourite TV series.
Why do we turn to old shows for comfort? Here are some scientific reasons behind it:
We are experiencing a heavier cognitive load
Cognitive load refers to the amount of information that working memory can hold at one time. For the past year, we had to adjust to so many things. We were constantly bombarded with the latest news, updated SOPs, new policies at work, and we made more crucial decisions. If we add our jobs and social life, the amount of stress we put on our working memory is insanely high.
Do we want to add a new TV series to this neverending list? Watching something new involves actively paying attention to the screen. We need to remember the characters and stay tuned for twists (so that we don’t miss anything in the next episode). If I’ve spent the whole day in zoom meetings, emails, work and doing house chores, I’m choosing to relax. I’ll automatically turn to Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, Chandler, Ross and Joey for comfort.
Our anxiety levels are at an all-time high
The number of Malaysians with anxiety, depression or other mental health conditions is now at about 10 million, or 29% of the population – according to The National Institutes of Public Health, under the Ministry of Health (MoH). While 29% might seem like a small sum, how many more people are silently suffering out there? Due to financial constraints and fear of shaming your own family, some people might not even seek help.
Ever since our first lockdown in March 2020, my anxiety has skyrocketed. As much as I try to manage it, some days are just too overwhelming. I know I’m not alone. Many others are struggling with burnout and anxiety, leaving them mentally exhausted. When I’m feeling anxious and looking for ways to unwind, I turn to my favourite shows. I cope by allowing my mental state to be at ease. This way, I avoid twists, suspense or jump scares.
Nostalgia sells
Over the years, we’ve seen some of our favourite TV shows/movies getting rebooted. Unfortunately, not every show came back with a strong viewership and rave reviews (Yes, I’m talking about Gen Z’s version of Gossip Girl). Despite some flops, we all still crave a sense of nostalgia.
Plus, all of these TV shows/movies were set in a pre-covid era. People could go about mask-less, and no one was worried about spreading illness to their loved ones just by being around them.
“The neural activity activated by rewatching a TV show that we like causes the release of feel-good chemicals, like dopamine, and we are left with that warm, soothing feeling in our bodies. Our brains like to make paired associations, which means that when you watch something specific, it can remind you of a particularly happy time in your life and re-evoke some of the happy emotions you felt at that point,” shares Lucy Spicer, a London-based psychological coach. Who doesn’t want to feel happy?
We watch these shows to “escape” reality. We find ourselves transported to a different world, a world free from all viruses and anxiety. Whether it’s scientific or a habit, it’s good to know that our comfort shows will always be there for us!
Stephanie Aeria is a content writer under Headliner by Newswav, a programme where content creators get to tell their unique stories through articles and at the same time monetize their content within the Newswav app.
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