Factors Motivating Binge-Watching of TV Series Among College Students

Abstract

The Rapid growth of Internet-based TV companies has transformed the way of video consumption, Internet-Based TV companies are releasing an entire series of programmes at once, which leads consumers to watch the TV series at once or three to four episodes at one sitting. This phenomenon gained popularity due to the development of platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO GO, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and Apple TV (Winland, 2012). Students are spending less time devoted to academic pursuits. Research studies have indicated that students are heavily distracted from their academic pursuits due to binge-watching, with many students spending almost 8 hours per week on binge-watching. Based on an extensive literature review, a glaring gap was noticed in assessing binge-watching behaviour among Indian students. Hence, the paper aims to explore various factors that influence college students’ attitudes towards binge-watching. The study is grounded on four different stimuli that influence Binge-watching: enjoyment, escapism, social influence and convenient access.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The present study is a descriptive research design. Quantitative methods were used for the collection and analysis of data. A structured questionnaire based on pre-validated scales was used as a research instrument. The respondents were from the student community across India. Analysis was based on correlation and multiple regression analysis.
Originality: The paper significantly contributes to the understanding of factors influencing binge-watching attitudes among students in India. There is a huge dearth of literature concerning binge-watching in India.
Findings: The findings of the study indicate that escapism, enjoyment greatly motivate students to spend more time binge-watching. As per the survey, we found out that college students don`t binge-watch because of convenient access and social influence.