Every week, Talking Points gives you a worksheet to practise your reading comprehension with exercises about the story we’ve written.
Have you ever opened Netflix and scrolled through the options for 10 minutes, just to end up picking the same show you’ve already seen multiple times?
We might find ourselves returning to familiar TV shows instead of choosing something new. But why does it feel so comforting to rewatch a show we’ve already seen?
Peter Chan Kin-yan is a psychology educator. He said that although starting a new series could be exciting, knowing what to expect could bring a certain kind of happiness.
“People need a balance between predictability and excitement,” Chan said. He is the founder of Treehole HK, a company that promotes psychology education.
Comfort of predictability
Rewatching something predictable reduces uncertainty. This can be especially calming during stressful times.
When watching a new show, your brain must process new characters, plotlines and emotions. This increases your cognitive load, which is the amount of memory your brain is using.
“When we are taking in something new, we actually need to use many different parts of our brains to feel it,” Chan said.
“However, once you’ve ... [watched] it many times, it becomes natural and takes away your initial feelings.”
Chan also pointed to the mere-exposure effect. This means that people tend to like things simply because they are familiar with them. It can also apply to things like relationships and music.
You might also rewatch shows to relive memories of the time in your life when you first saw them.
“[The content] reminds you of who you were then,” the psychology educator said. “In that sense, rewatching is a process of identity recall and a way to reconnect with your own history.”
Personality preferences
Chan said your personality could be a reason you like rewatching shows for predictability, rather than choosing something new.
He referred to the “big five” personality traits.
These include conscientiousness – being responsible and careful – agreeableness, and openness. Extroversion measures how sociable a person is, while neuroticism refers to depression and anxiety.
“For example, people who score higher in neuroticism might seek content that might be soothing out of familiarity,” he said. He noted that these people might rely on predictable content to feel emotional stability.
“On the other hand, the openness trait reflects how much novelty one needs,” he explained. Chan added that people who tend to be more open may prefer seeking out new content.
Importance of balance
According to Chan, rewatching your favourite shows isn’t good or bad: “The key is not the behaviour itself, but understanding the context,” he said.
He added that students should ask themselves what purpose rewatching serves for them.
“If you are rewatching to avoid stress or to procrastinate on important tasks, or if you’ve stopped trying new things entirely, it might be a warning sign,” Chan explained.
He said that enjoying the familiar is needed at times. But while you are young, it is also important to explore new things.
If you have a good balance between rewatching and discovering shows – and it isn’t affecting your ability to try new things – then just sit back, relax and enjoy.
