Binge by Binge: A Phenomenological Study on the Binge-watching Habits of Filipinos
Abstract
The viewing habits and experience of the media audience have grown throughout the decades— from early radio listening habits, to television watching, to consumption of optical recording technologies like CDs and DVDs. Their habits of consuming media evolved alongside the continuous development of media platforms. New ways and styles of viewing media have been realized by the audience as technology reshapes the form of media over time. Now, another mode of consuming media has become apparent as the current generation is introduced to internet and the new media: binge-watching. As defined by the Oxford dictionaries, binge-watching is the “the activity of watching multiple episodes of a television program in rapid succession”. Watching several episodes or seasons of a TV series in one sitting is a good example of this phenomenon. The continuous process of developing the media habits of the audience as well as the easier access to media products and texts through technology has been vital to the emergence of binge-watching activities today. This study aims to describe how the phenomenon of binge-watching occurs in the lives of the audience. It looks into various factors that affect the experience and interpretation of binge-watchers regarding their media consumption habits. At the same time, the study is contextualized in the experience of Filipino binge-watchers. The phenomenon of binge-watching is depicted through the lens of Filipinos coming from their distinct setting, and how they build their habit of binge-watching media texts. Keywords: binge-watching, Filipino audience, media consumption, media phenomenon, TV series, viewing habits, viewing experience, audience studies, habit formation, evolution of media
Abstrakt
Ang karanasan ng mga taong tumatangkilik ng midya ay lumago sa pagdaan ng mga dekada—mula sa noo'y pakikinig sa radyo, hanggang sa panunuod ng telebisyon, hanggang sa pagkonsumo ng mga teknolohiyang CD at DVD. Ang pag-unlad ng pagkonsumo ng midya ay kasabay ng pag-unlad ng mga plataporma nito. Natututunan ng mga tao ang mga bagong paraan at istilo ng paggamit ng midya habang ang teknolohiya ay patuloy itong binabago. Sa ngayon, isang bagong moda ng pagkonsumo ang lumutang sa tulong ng internet at bagong midya: ang binge-watching. Ayon sa diksyunaryong Oxford, ang binge-watching ay ang "tuloy-tuloy na panunuod ng maraming episode ng isang programang pantelebisyon". Ang panunuod ng maraming episode o season ng isang seryeng pantelebisyon sa iisang upuan ay isang magandang halimbawa ng ganitong penomenon. Ang patuloy na pag-unlad ng media habits ng mga manonood pati na ang mas madaling pagkuha ng mga tekstong midya dahil sa teknolohiya ay naging mahalaga sa pag-usbong ng binge-watching. Nilalayon ng pag-aaral na ito na ilarawan kung paano nagaganap ang penomenon ng binge-watching sa buhay ng mga manunuod. Tinitingnan nito ang iba't ibang salik na nakaaapekto sa karanasan at interpretasyon ng binge-watchers patungkol sa kanilang pagkonsumo ng midya. Gayundin, ang pananaliksik ay nakaangkla sa konteksto ng mga Pilipinong binge-watchers at ang kanilang karanasan. Ang penomenon ng binge-watching ay titingnan sa lente ng mga Pilipino at ang kanilang paglikha ng binge-watching habits. Keywords: binge-watching, Pilipinong manonood, pagkonsumo, pantelebisyong programa, viewing habits, karanasan sa panonood, audience studies, habit formation