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The Binge-watching Experience on Netflix

Year 2020, Issue: 24, 45 - 55, 24.07.2020
https://doi.org/10.17484/yedi.730496

Abstract

Due to its worldwide influence, binge-watching has become one of the important research topics for philosophy and social sciences such as sociology, psychology, and media studies. Although noticable articles and books have been written about binge-watching, more studies seem needed when considering its influence on individuals. This article depends on such a requirement and aims to examine the binge-watching experience on Netflix. For this purpose, the article is divided into three main parts. After explaining the concept of binge-watching in the first part, the binge model and the binge culture are elucidated according to the Netflix environment. Then, the binge is discussed in the second part as an important piece of contemporary industrial culture. Here, the motivations behind binge-watching and how the attention of the viewer is maintained through the abuse of suspense are explained. Moreover, the temporal structure and misdirections in the narrative are examined as the characteristics of the cultural commodity suitable for bingeing. As to the third part, The Stranger (2020) series of Netflix is analysed in detail as an example. An evaluation regarding these three parts is given in the conclusion to sum up how binge-watching is experienced in the Netflix environment.

References

  • Adorno, T. (1991). Culture industry (J. M. Bernstein, ed.). London: Routledge.
  • ———. (2002a). Essays on music (R. Leppert, ed.). California: University of California Press.
  • ———. (2002b). The culture industry: Enlightenment as mass deception. In Adorno, T. and Horkheimer, M., Dialectics of Enlightenment (Trans. E. Jephcott) (pp. 94-137), Standford: Standford University Press.
  • ———. (2002c). The stars down to earth and other essays on the irrational in culture. (S. Crook, ed.), London: Routledge.
  • ———. (2005). Minima moralia (Trans. E. Jephcott). London: Verso.
  • Ahmed, A. A. M. (2017). New era of TV-watching behavior: Binge-watching and its psychological effects. Media Watch, 8(2), 192-207. doi:10.15655/mw/2017/v8i2/49006
  • Broe, D. (2019). Birth of the binge: Serial TV and the end of leisure. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
  • Castro, D., Rigby, J. M., Cabral, D., and Nisi, V. (2019). The binge watcher’s journey: Investigating motivations, contexts, and affective states surrounding Netflix viewing. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 1-18. doi:10.1177/1354856519890856
  • Feijter de D., Khan, V., and Gisbergen, M. S. V. (2016). Confessions of a ‘guilty’ couch potato: Understanding and using context to optimize bine-watching behavior. In TVX '16: Proceedings of the ACM international conference on interactive experiences for TV and online video (pp. 59-67).
  • Georgetown University (18.10.2018). How to spot Hidden Ads in your favorite Netflix binge. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02O3jK5Y_oQ
  • Gonzalez, V. M., and Skewes, M. C. (2013). Solitary heavy drinking, social relationships, and negative mood regulation in college drinkers. Addiction Research and Theory, 21(4), 285–294. doi:10.3109/16066359.2012.714429
  • Jenner, M. (2015). Binge-watching: Video-on-demand, quality TV and mainstreaming fandom. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 1-17. doi:10.1177/1367877915606485
  • ———. (2018). Netflix and the re-invention of television. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Krutnik, F. (2013). Theatre of thrills: The culture of suspense. New Review of Film and Television Studies, 11(1), 6-33. doi:10.1080/17400309.2012.741502
  • Maddison, M. (1982). The critique criticised: Adorno and popular music. Popular Music, 2, 201-218.
  • Matrix, S. (2014). The Netflix effect: Teens, binge watching, and on-demand digital media trends. Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures, 6(1), 119-138. doi:10.1353/jeu.2014.0002
  • McCormick, C. J. (2016). “Forward is the battle cry”: Binge-viewing Netflix’s House of Cards. In Kevin McDonald and Daniel Smith-Rowsey (Eds.), The Netflix effect: Technology and entertainment in the 21st century (pp. 101-117), London: Bloomsbury.
  • Merikivi, J., Bragge, J., Scornavacca, E., and Verhagen, T. (2019). Binge-watching serialized video content: A transdisciplinary review. Television and Media, 1-15. doi: 10.1177/1527476419848578
  • Netflix Media Center (October 17, 2017). Ready, set, binge: More than 8 million viewers “binge race” their favorite series. Retrieved from: https://media.netflix.com/en/press-releases/ready-set-binge-more-than-8-million-viewers-binge-race-their-favorite-series
  • Nieding, G., Ohler, P., and Thußbas, C. (2009). Do children make inferences with temporal ellipses in films? In Peter Vorderer, Hans J. Wulff and Mike Friedrichsen (Eds.), Suspense: Conceptualizations, theoretical analyses, and empirical explorations (pp. 568-616), London: Routledge.
  • Norden, M. F. (1980). Toward a theory of audience response to suspenseful films. Journal of the University Film Association, 32(1/2), 71-77.
  • Oakley, T., and Tobin, V. (2012). Attention, blending, and suspense in classic and experimental film. In Ralf Schneider and Marcus Hartner (Eds.), Blending and the study of narrative: Approaches and applications (pp. 57-85), Berlin: De Gruyter.
  • Paljärvi, T., Koskenvuo, M., Poikolainen, K., Kauhanen, J., Sillanmäki, L., and Mäkelä, P. (2009). Binge drinking and depressive symptoms: A 5-year population-based cohort study. Addiction, 104(7), 1168–1178. doi:10.1111/add.2009.104.issue-7
  • Panda, S., and Pandey, S. C. (2017). Binge watching and college students: motivations and outcomes. Young Consumers, 1-25. doi: 10.1108/YC-07-2017-00707
  • Rubenking, B., and Bracken, C. C. (2018). Binge-watching: A suspenseful, emotional, habit. Communication Research Reports, 1-11. doi:10.1080/08824096.2018.1525346
  • Rubenking, B., Bracken, C. C., Sandoval, J., and Rister, A. (2018). Defining new viewing behaviours: What makes and motivates TV binge-watching?. International Journal of Digital Television, 9(1), 69-85. doi:10.1386/jdtv.9.1.69_1
  • Sim, G. (2016). Individual disruptors and economic gamechangers: Netflix, new media, and neoliberalism. In McDonald, K. and Smith-Rowsey, D. (Eds.), The Netflix effect: Technology and entertainment in the 21st century (pp. 185-201). London: Bloomsbury.
  • Snider, Z. (2016). The cognitive psychological effects of binge-watching. In McDonald, K. and Smith-Rowsey, D. (Eds.), The Netflix effect: Technology and entertainment in the 21st century (pp. 117-129). London: Bloomsbury.
  • Steiner, E., and Xu, K. (2018). Binge-watching motivates change: Uses and gratifications of streaming video viewers challenge traditional TV research. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 1-20. doi: 10.1177/1354856517750365
  • Strine, T. W., Mokdad, A. H., Dube, S. R., Balluz, L. S., Gonzalez, O., Berry, J. T., Manderscheid, R., and Kroenke, K. (2008). The association of depression and anxiety with obesity and unhealthy behaviors among community dwelling US adults. General Hospital Psychiatry, 30(2), 127–137. doi:10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2007.12.008
  • Sung, Y. H., Kamg, E. Y., and Lee, W. N. (2015). A bad habit for your health? An exploration of psychological factors for binge-watching behaviour. Conference proceedings, The 65th annual conference of the international communication association in San Juan, Puerto Rico, 21st May 2015.
  • Tan, E., and Diteweg, G. (2009). Suspense, predictive inference, and emotion in film viewing. In Peter Vorderer, Hans J. Wulff and Mike Friedrichsen (Eds.), Suspense: Conceptualizations, theoretical analyses, and empirical explorations (pp. 290-352), London: Routledge.
  • Tefertiller, A. C., and Maxwell, L. C. (2018). Depression, emotional states, and the experience of binge-watching narrative television. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 26(5), 278-290. doi: 10.1080/15456870.2018.1517765
  • Tukachinsky, R., and Eyal, K. (2018): The psychology of marathon television viewing: Antecedents and viewer involvement. Mass Communication and Society. 1-34. doi:10.1080/15205436.2017.1422765.
  • Turim, M. (2014). Flashbacks in film: Memory and history. London: Routledge.
  • Turner, G. (2019). Television studies, we need to talk about “binge-watching”. Television & Media, 1-13. doi: 10.1177/1527476419877041
  • Walton-Pattison, E., Dombrowski, S. U., and Presseau, J. (2016). ‘Just one more episode’: Frequency and theoretical correlates of television binge watching. Journal of Health Psychology, 1-8. doi:10.1177/1359105316643379

Netflix’te Seri-izleme Deneyimi

Year 2020, Issue: 24, 45 - 55, 24.07.2020
https://doi.org/10.17484/yedi.730496

Abstract

Dünya çapındaki etkisinden ötürü seri-izleme, felsefe, sosyoloji, psikoloji ve medya çalışmaları gibi sosyal bilimler için önemli araştırma konulardan biri haline gelmiştir. Seri-izlemeyle ilgili dikkate değer makale ve kitaplar yazılmış olmasına rağmen, bireyler üstündeki etkisi düşünüldüğünde, daha fazla çalışmaya ihtiyaç duyulduğu görülmektedir. Bu makale de böylesi bir ihtiyaca dayanmakta, Netflix’te seri-izleme deneyimini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Makale bu amaçla üç ana bölüme ayrılmıştır. Birinci bölümde, seri-izleme kavramı açıklandıktan sonra, seri-izleme modeli ve seri-izleme kültürü Netflix ortamına bağlı olarak aydınlatılmaktadır. Sonrasında, seri-izleme son dönem endüstriyel kültürün önemli bir parçası olarak tartışılmaktadır. Burada, seri-izlemenin arkasındaki motivasyonlar ve seyircinin dikkatinin merakın suistimali aracılığıyla nasıl korunduğu açıklanmaktadır. Dahası, anlatıdaki zamansal yapı ve yanlış yönlendirmeler, seri-izlemeye uygun kültürel metaların ayırıcı nitelikleri olarak incelenmektedir. Üçüncü bölüme gelindiğinde, Netflix’in The Stranger (2020) dizisi bir örnek olarak ayrıntılı biçimde analiz edilmektedir. Sonuç bölümünde, seri-izlemenin Netflix ortamında nasıl deneyimlendiğini özetlemek amacıyla, bu üç bölümle ilişkili şekilde bir değerlendirme sunulmaktadır.

References

  • Adorno, T. (1991). Culture industry (J. M. Bernstein, ed.). London: Routledge.
  • ———. (2002a). Essays on music (R. Leppert, ed.). California: University of California Press.
  • ———. (2002b). The culture industry: Enlightenment as mass deception. In Adorno, T. and Horkheimer, M., Dialectics of Enlightenment (Trans. E. Jephcott) (pp. 94-137), Standford: Standford University Press.
  • ———. (2002c). The stars down to earth and other essays on the irrational in culture. (S. Crook, ed.), London: Routledge.
  • ———. (2005). Minima moralia (Trans. E. Jephcott). London: Verso.
  • Ahmed, A. A. M. (2017). New era of TV-watching behavior: Binge-watching and its psychological effects. Media Watch, 8(2), 192-207. doi:10.15655/mw/2017/v8i2/49006
  • Broe, D. (2019). Birth of the binge: Serial TV and the end of leisure. Detroit: Wayne State University Press.
  • Castro, D., Rigby, J. M., Cabral, D., and Nisi, V. (2019). The binge watcher’s journey: Investigating motivations, contexts, and affective states surrounding Netflix viewing. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 1-18. doi:10.1177/1354856519890856
  • Feijter de D., Khan, V., and Gisbergen, M. S. V. (2016). Confessions of a ‘guilty’ couch potato: Understanding and using context to optimize bine-watching behavior. In TVX '16: Proceedings of the ACM international conference on interactive experiences for TV and online video (pp. 59-67).
  • Georgetown University (18.10.2018). How to spot Hidden Ads in your favorite Netflix binge. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02O3jK5Y_oQ
  • Gonzalez, V. M., and Skewes, M. C. (2013). Solitary heavy drinking, social relationships, and negative mood regulation in college drinkers. Addiction Research and Theory, 21(4), 285–294. doi:10.3109/16066359.2012.714429
  • Jenner, M. (2015). Binge-watching: Video-on-demand, quality TV and mainstreaming fandom. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 1-17. doi:10.1177/1367877915606485
  • ———. (2018). Netflix and the re-invention of television. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Krutnik, F. (2013). Theatre of thrills: The culture of suspense. New Review of Film and Television Studies, 11(1), 6-33. doi:10.1080/17400309.2012.741502
  • Maddison, M. (1982). The critique criticised: Adorno and popular music. Popular Music, 2, 201-218.
  • Matrix, S. (2014). The Netflix effect: Teens, binge watching, and on-demand digital media trends. Jeunesse: Young People, Texts, Cultures, 6(1), 119-138. doi:10.1353/jeu.2014.0002
  • McCormick, C. J. (2016). “Forward is the battle cry”: Binge-viewing Netflix’s House of Cards. In Kevin McDonald and Daniel Smith-Rowsey (Eds.), The Netflix effect: Technology and entertainment in the 21st century (pp. 101-117), London: Bloomsbury.
  • Merikivi, J., Bragge, J., Scornavacca, E., and Verhagen, T. (2019). Binge-watching serialized video content: A transdisciplinary review. Television and Media, 1-15. doi: 10.1177/1527476419848578
  • Netflix Media Center (October 17, 2017). Ready, set, binge: More than 8 million viewers “binge race” their favorite series. Retrieved from: https://media.netflix.com/en/press-releases/ready-set-binge-more-than-8-million-viewers-binge-race-their-favorite-series
  • Nieding, G., Ohler, P., and Thußbas, C. (2009). Do children make inferences with temporal ellipses in films? In Peter Vorderer, Hans J. Wulff and Mike Friedrichsen (Eds.), Suspense: Conceptualizations, theoretical analyses, and empirical explorations (pp. 568-616), London: Routledge.
  • Norden, M. F. (1980). Toward a theory of audience response to suspenseful films. Journal of the University Film Association, 32(1/2), 71-77.
  • Oakley, T., and Tobin, V. (2012). Attention, blending, and suspense in classic and experimental film. In Ralf Schneider and Marcus Hartner (Eds.), Blending and the study of narrative: Approaches and applications (pp. 57-85), Berlin: De Gruyter.
  • Paljärvi, T., Koskenvuo, M., Poikolainen, K., Kauhanen, J., Sillanmäki, L., and Mäkelä, P. (2009). Binge drinking and depressive symptoms: A 5-year population-based cohort study. Addiction, 104(7), 1168–1178. doi:10.1111/add.2009.104.issue-7
  • Panda, S., and Pandey, S. C. (2017). Binge watching and college students: motivations and outcomes. Young Consumers, 1-25. doi: 10.1108/YC-07-2017-00707
  • Rubenking, B., and Bracken, C. C. (2018). Binge-watching: A suspenseful, emotional, habit. Communication Research Reports, 1-11. doi:10.1080/08824096.2018.1525346
  • Rubenking, B., Bracken, C. C., Sandoval, J., and Rister, A. (2018). Defining new viewing behaviours: What makes and motivates TV binge-watching?. International Journal of Digital Television, 9(1), 69-85. doi:10.1386/jdtv.9.1.69_1
  • Sim, G. (2016). Individual disruptors and economic gamechangers: Netflix, new media, and neoliberalism. In McDonald, K. and Smith-Rowsey, D. (Eds.), The Netflix effect: Technology and entertainment in the 21st century (pp. 185-201). London: Bloomsbury.
  • Snider, Z. (2016). The cognitive psychological effects of binge-watching. In McDonald, K. and Smith-Rowsey, D. (Eds.), The Netflix effect: Technology and entertainment in the 21st century (pp. 117-129). London: Bloomsbury.
  • Steiner, E., and Xu, K. (2018). Binge-watching motivates change: Uses and gratifications of streaming video viewers challenge traditional TV research. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies, 1-20. doi: 10.1177/1354856517750365
  • Strine, T. W., Mokdad, A. H., Dube, S. R., Balluz, L. S., Gonzalez, O., Berry, J. T., Manderscheid, R., and Kroenke, K. (2008). The association of depression and anxiety with obesity and unhealthy behaviors among community dwelling US adults. General Hospital Psychiatry, 30(2), 127–137. doi:10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2007.12.008
  • Sung, Y. H., Kamg, E. Y., and Lee, W. N. (2015). A bad habit for your health? An exploration of psychological factors for binge-watching behaviour. Conference proceedings, The 65th annual conference of the international communication association in San Juan, Puerto Rico, 21st May 2015.
  • Tan, E., and Diteweg, G. (2009). Suspense, predictive inference, and emotion in film viewing. In Peter Vorderer, Hans J. Wulff and Mike Friedrichsen (Eds.), Suspense: Conceptualizations, theoretical analyses, and empirical explorations (pp. 290-352), London: Routledge.
  • Tefertiller, A. C., and Maxwell, L. C. (2018). Depression, emotional states, and the experience of binge-watching narrative television. Atlantic Journal of Communication, 26(5), 278-290. doi: 10.1080/15456870.2018.1517765
  • Tukachinsky, R., and Eyal, K. (2018): The psychology of marathon television viewing: Antecedents and viewer involvement. Mass Communication and Society. 1-34. doi:10.1080/15205436.2017.1422765.
  • Turim, M. (2014). Flashbacks in film: Memory and history. London: Routledge.
  • Turner, G. (2019). Television studies, we need to talk about “binge-watching”. Television & Media, 1-13. doi: 10.1177/1527476419877041
  • Walton-Pattison, E., Dombrowski, S. U., and Presseau, J. (2016). ‘Just one more episode’: Frequency and theoretical correlates of television binge watching. Journal of Health Psychology, 1-8. doi:10.1177/1359105316643379
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Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Araştırma Makaleler
Authors

Önder Kulak 0000-0002-0637-8296

Publication Date July 24, 2020
Submission Date May 1, 2020
Acceptance Date June 12, 2020
Published in Issue Year 2020 Issue: 24

Cite

APA Kulak, Ö. (2020). The Binge-watching Experience on Netflix. Yedi(24), 45-55. https://doi.org/10.17484/yedi.730496

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