One day I was scrolling through Tik Tok and I came across this post that described how those that suffer from anxiety tend to re-watch shows and movies over and over again. This is due to the fact that the individual tends to know what to expect from a re-watch and it creates a sense of comfort and safety.
According to an article by Dr. Jennifer Fayard with Psychology Today, “Watching something new inherently involves thinking—there are new characters to learn, plot threads to remember, predictions for what will happen, and the possibility of an unpleasant turn.”
When you re-watch your favorites there’s no guessing game and you don’t have to predict the outcome of the plot or characters. Fayard also mentions the mere exposure effect that basically means the more exposure we have to things, the more we like it.
As someone that deals with anxiety and is guilty of watching the same things over and over again, this made so much sense to me about my behaviors when watching TV shows and movies.
Sometimes I can’t help myself from spoiling what happens in a show or movie by Googling the plot because my anxiety won’t allow me to just sit there and guess what is going to happen. I notice I do this a lot when watching shows like Grey’s Anatomy, Law and Order: SVU, or How to Get Away With Murder because they are full of suspense and surprises that you can never be prepared for.
As for watching the same things over and over again, I noticed that I consider the things I watch repeatedly my comfort show or movie. Some of my “comforts” include:
- Law & Order SVU
- The Other Woman
- Bob’s Burgers
- Disney’s Hercules
- CSI Miami
- Glee
What are your comfort shows or movies?