Episode notes
A rambly one this week: what actually happens when you rewatch the same shows on loop, and whether it's comfort or something the algorithm built for you.
In this episode:
• The moment it started — rewatching Gilmore Girls on mute as background noise
• My comfort rotation: The Office, Parks and Rec, Brooklyn 99, Grey's Anatomy, Gilmore Girls, New Girl, Private Practice, Station 19
• Being honest about when rewatching did help (predictability during a rough mental health stretch) vs. now, when it's just autopilot
• The old "it's just like rewatching my DVDs" excuse — and why that logic aged badly
• What psychology says: comfort, reduced uncertainty, and "social snacking" with familiar characters
• The 2024 Netflix study on choice overload and decision paralysis
• Why subscriptions change the psychology — "I'm paying for this, I should use it" — and the research on platforms building psychological ownership
• The content overabundance paradox: more choice, less satisfaction
• "Volitional reconsumption" — the academic term for deliberately rewatching, and how streaming made it effortless
• A quick history detour: 24-hour news (CNN, 1980) → internet → smartphones → why screens stacked instead of replacing each other
• Where I've landed: not quitting rewatches, just aiming for balance over the long timeline
Mentioned:
• Dr. Chivonna Childs, Cleveland Clinic (comfort viewing and anxiety)
• TIME's concept of "social snacking"
• 2024 Netflix choice-overload study
• 2026 study, Electronic Commerce Research and Applications (psychological ownership & subscriptions)
• Longo & Baiyere on content overabundance
• 2026 review, Choosing to Re-Experience Movies and TV Episodes
• UK ONS screen-time data (2000–2015)
• Brasel & Gips (2011) media multitasking study
• Nielsen simultaneous TV/internet use data (2008–2009)
Got a comfort show you can't quit? Send it my way — want to hear the rotation.