Open letter to a binge-watcher: It’s A-OK to watch things at your own time and pace in the midst of a zillion releases

It’s National Binge Watching Day and here’s a virtual hug to all the binge watchers who are drowning in this ocean of content trying to keep up with everything!

Dear binge watcher,

When you first discovered the concept of binge watching episode after episode, movie after movie, I know it felt like the best thing that could have happened to you. You stayed up late nights, finished new shows in one single day, and had a whole binge routine in your mind. The lines between weekdays and weekends were blurred, you went to sleep as you saw the sunrise but couldn’t wait to start binging your next show. You had so many opinions to give on the content that you watched which is why you often got into debates about what worked and what didn’t. For every show or movie that you loved, you googled the cast and watched their interviews as well. The world of fiction was where you truly loved residing, among stories and characters that resonated with you! The aesthetic color palettes, the high definition cinematography and traveling the world through the locations shown in the story was your favorite thing to do. 

In today’s time, ‘binge watching’ is no longer done only for the love of cinema though. It's somehow become this rat race of watching something before everyone and fitting in with on-going conversations. You want to avoid spoilers but in the process of that you don’t fully enjoy the watching experience as you should. Sadly, as someone who wouldn't binge watch something to compete but because you love the story so much, the world has molded you into being just like them and I am sorry you became a victim of that. 

When you started working and the 9-5 job left you feeling exhausted by the time you came home, you were too tired to watch anything. Who was once a binge-watcher, now takes 2 days just to complete one episode and you constantly beat yourself up for it. But you know what? It’s okay to do things at your own pace! You can finish a series months after everyone has or you can go watch that movie weeks after its release. Do it when you know you will enjoy it to the fullest. It’s meant for entertainment and if you feel anything other than that, please know that it’s okay to stop. It’s okay if you’re sleepy and your eyes are shutting. Don’t fight it, you can watch that episode later! Always remember that you don’t need to succumb to peer pressure, it’s okay if you don’t understand new pop culture references from shows and it's okay to not be following the herd. It’s okay if you want to stop watching content for a while. It's okay to want to pick up a book instead, go on a solo trip or learn a new hobby. That series or movie will still be waiting for you when you’re back and rejuvenated! Out of all the stressful things life has to throw at you, something as casual as binging on content definitely shouldn’t be one of them. I hope you learn to love yourself by taking your own time and going at your own pace.

Yours truly,

A fellow binge-watcher

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