Binge watching and college students: motivations and outcomes

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to explore various motivations that influence college students to spend more time binge watching and the subsequent gratifications. Video streaming websites such as Netflix and Amazon Video have changed the viewing habits of consumers. Viewers have more control and can enjoy on-demand content as per their convenience. This has resulted in viewers watching multiple episodes of television shows in a compressed time frame – a phenomenon termed as binge watching. College students engage in binge watching because of the various gratifications that it promises. This paper investigates the various triggers and consequences of binge watching. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a mixed method approach. The first stage involved qualitative interviews and focused group discussions with college students to understand the phenomenon of binge watching. The second stage involved administering a questionnaire to address our research question. Findings Findings indicate that social interaction, escape from reality, easy accessibility to TV content and advertising motivate college students to spend more time binge watching. If students are negatively gratified after binge watching, then they intend to spend more time doing it. Originality/value The findings have important implications on the overall wellbeing of college students and strategic implications for video streaming companies.