My new obsession - Binge watching television shows

[unperson]

Jessica Jones season 1 was great, well worth binging on - season 2, all about mom, well I made it thru. Season 3 lost interest .

 

[Giraffes]

Hey Rasputin i do the same!!

 

[Giraffes]

Also often with a film it leads me to 'research' other films the actor/actress has been in, how tall they are, if 'based on a true story' articals re how 'real' the 'true story' was, and so on and so on very exhausting LOL

 

[Au Naturel]

What is "not normal?"

Binge-watching is very common among bored neurotypicals. Just Google "best binge watch shows."

 

[Fino]

I thought you were being satirical at first. This is practically cultural.

 

[SliverOfSand]

I find that I have this trait too. I always thought it was something that many other people do as well, not just people with Asperger’s. Binge watching shows seems like something normal. I think the line is crossed when you binge on other things as well.

For me personally, if I have an interest in something, I will find everything I can on the subject: books, shows, movies, articles, pictures, etc. This subject takes up most of my thoughts, and most of my conversation. This goes on for as little as a few weeks, to a few months or years. With shows I like, I will binge them multiple times, watching them over again. It’s to a point where I can categorize my life into phases of obsessions. I don’t know if you find this too, but this is probably the thing I notice most about myself having Asperger’s... having these interests in things to a point where I just about ‘binge’ on everything I’m interested in.

 

[Giraffes]

Hey Sliverof Sand i relate to all aspects of your post,obsessive thought actions and activities is a part of who i am and how i experience the world, i will 'talk at' not with people concerning my latest obsessions and not realise the person is just 'trying to get away', finally i see this and make varied degrees of effort to realise, and stop having dialogue and try to have a degree of reciprical communication, my recurring obsessions are clothes, art, psychology, myself and crime films/tv drama, oh and fitness.

 

[Mary Terry]

I wish I could. I have the restless thing and cannot sit without a lot suffering. I do it, like now obviously, but I have to be doing other things. Probably a treadmill desk would be a lifesaver.

The other trouble is I have the issue with words or something else where I have to keep going back 10 seconds, back 10 seconds, back ten seconds........or something that I need to focus on so 30 minutes might take an hour. Can't do.

But still I try to watch stuff on Netflix. I watched some Schitts creek. And Kim's Convenience. I also tried to watch Cuckoo.

If anyone else has that problem -that horrible feeling that makes your limbs ache and have to move, let me know how you deal with it.

I never have. In school I had leg weights under my clothes and had to do like leg extensions in class or I would explode. Taking me to a movie=HELL

It sounds like you may have restless leg syndrome. I think there is medicine for it. Ask your doctor about it. My father had it and my younger brother has it but it mainly affected them at night when they were trying to sleep so you may have a more severe case than they did. I may have a mild form of it, too. I move and stretch my legs a lot at night and usually don't even want blankets or covers on my legs when I sleep.

 

[paloftoon]

I have a passion for ballet so l binged watch dance moms.

Guilty as charged here except I'm not into ballet, lol.

 

[Rasputin]

Also often with a film it leads me to 'research' other films the actor/actress has been in, how tall they are, if 'based on a true story' articals re how 'real' the 'true story' was, and so on and so on very exhausting LOL

I also research actors/actresses if I like shows or films they are in.

 

[Rasputin]

I find that I have this trait too. I always thought it was something that many other people do as well, not just people with Asperger’s. Binge watching shows seems like something normal. I think the line is crossed when you binge on other things as well.

For me personally, if I have an interest in something, I will find everything I can on the subject: books, shows, movies, articles, pictures, etc. This subject takes up most of my thoughts, and most of my conversation. This goes on for as little as a few weeks, to a few months or years. With shows I like, I will binge them multiple times, watching them over again. It’s to a point where I can categorize my life into phases of obsessions. I don’t know if you find this too, but this is probably the thing I notice most about myself having Asperger’s... having these interests in things to a point where I just about ‘binge’ on everything I’m interested in.

@SliverOfSand, I have the same habits. I think understanding the motivations as to why we binge is helpful in coping or feeling at ease. I have some very strong interests and a need to know and understand everything I can. At the same time I have a need to "finish", which of course may never be achieved. So this propels me to endless binging. There are worse things we could do.

 

[Rasputin]

It sounds like you may have restless leg syndrome. I think there is medicine for it. Ask your doctor about it. My father had it and my younger brother has it but it mainly affected them at night when they were trying to sleep so you may have a more severe case than they did. I may have a mild form of it, too. I move and stretch my legs a lot at night and usually don't even want blankets or covers on my legs when I sleep.

I thought of restless leg syndrome, but did not comment because I don't have first hand experience with it.

 

[grommet]

Not sure if this is common. I was recently introduced to Netflix, and find that once I get into a series I end up binge watching night after night. First it was the show Ozark, and now Jessica Jones. I was the same way with watching old X-Files reruns.

I know that binge watching TV for hours night after night is not normal. On the other hand, there isn't much to do when everything is shut down due the Covid 19 pandemic.

Is this behavior associated with ASD? Who else has similar obsessions?

I watch the same shows every day. There was a show I liked and I got it on DVD. Every night I watched an episode, the show ran 7 seasons and I would watch until the last episode, then start at the beginning. I did this every night with very few exceptions, for 10 years. I finally can't watch it any more.

I have other shows I watch every day, from beginning to end. There are movies or documentaries I have seen I think at least 100 times, some many more.

I mention all this to show that I do think it is autistic being this way. I do think other aspies do things like I do. I also eat the same things every day for many years. I hope my reply helps.

 

[Aspychata]

I watch the same shows every day. There was a show I liked and I got it on DVD. Every night I watched an episode, the show ran 7 seasons and I would watch until the last episode, then start at the beginning. I did this every night with very few exceptions, for 10 years. I finally can't watch it any more.

I have other shows I watch every day, from beginning to end. There are movies or documentaries I have seen I think at least 100 times, some many more.

I mention all this to show that I do think it is autistic being this way. I do think other aspies do things like I do. I also eat the same things every day for many years. I hope my reply helps.

This is so true. I have a collection of movies that l love to watch over and over. Is it familiarity, is it intense like, is it???? I don't know. My daughter watched the The Wizard of Oz like 7 times in one day. I told her to watch it as many times as she wanted too. No guilt trips here.

 

[Rasputin]

I watch the same shows every day. There was a show I liked and I got it on DVD. Every night I watched an episode, the show ran 7 seasons and I would watch until the last episode, then start at the beginning. I did this every night with very few exceptions, for 10 years. I finally can't watch it any more.

I have other shows I watch every day, from beginning to end. There are movies or documentaries I have seen I think at least 100 times, some many more.

I mention all this to show that I do think it is autistic being this way. I do think other aspies do things like I do. I also eat the same things every day for many years. I hope my reply helps.

@grommet, I have the same behaviors that you describe, and also have the same breakfast and lunch every day. And I truly look forward to and enjoy these things. The consistency in behaviors I think differentiates us from NTs.

 

[paloftoon]

I have a passion for ballet so l binged watch dance moms.

"Second place is the first one to lose."

9 Lessons for Success From Abby Lee Miller of 'Dance Moms'

lol

 

[Otenba]

People binge watching is probably one of the reasons why Netflix checks you're still there, haha. I binge watch when a show really takes my interest. I usually watch/listen to stuff while I work.

 

[GrownupGirl]

I haven't touched my TV in weeks. TV is awful, none of the currently popular shows everyone else keeps going on and one appeal to me one bit, and I practically live in front of my computer anyway, where I can watch YouTube videos of sketch comedies and cartoons from back when TV and movies were still alive. TV and movies are dead.