Binging

Have you seen the new Netflix Original Series, House of Cards?

I was reading an article about the series and how they developed it (and of course now I can't find the article to link back). I found it very interesting that the whole season was available at once. They suggested that it was the new trend of binge watching of shows.

In all of my social media classes associated with my Mass Communications classes, I never encountered this idea. It was such an "ah hah" moment for me!  I'd never thought of the way I watched TV as binging, but it's so true! 

My first TV binging was in the pre-Netflix days (ya know, back when we wrote on stone tablets...).

My Dad, brothers and I all really enjoyed the TV series 24. We would go rent a season of 24 on a Friday evening after a dinner out, head home and veg out infront of the TV.

By the end of the weekend, we would have essentially watched 24 hours of television. 

Since then some of the shows I've "binged" on are; Greys Anatomy, Army Wives, Heroes, House of Cards, Baby Daddy, Sister Wives, Bones, Weeds, Rescue Me, Private Practice, Breaking Bad and Burn Notice.  And those are just the ones I can think off the top of my head. 

When I binge watch TV, I'm always doing other things, Netflix usually being the facilitator of this delightful habit, it's handy that I can watch on my laptop as I work in the kitchen or do things other rooms of the house. It isn't as if there are countless hours with me plopped in front of the television doing nothing.

Binge watching drives John nuts! He would prefer for us to watch one or two episodes at a time and then a couple more a few nights later. 

Is this something you do? Is binge watching really becoming a trend as we have more access to lots of television content at once?  Is it a gender specific habit? Am I alone in my unhealthy habit?