Are Comfort TV Shows Worth Our Time?

In the age of streaming, there are so many movies and TV shows available to watch. So, why do we keep rewatching the same things over and over? I don’t know about you, but I’ve watched The Office and Jersey Shore more times than I can count on both hands. They’re shows that I can mindlessly watch when I am stressed, need something on in the background when I eat, or if I am manically cleaning my dorm room. What we watch says a lot about who we are, and despite our favorite shows holding some significance to us, I think rewatching them multiple times comes from a place of control. There is no fear of the unknown because we already know how it ends! One could argue that watching shows repeatedly is boring, with the element of surprise eliminated, after all.
However, I find it challenging to branch out and find new things to watch when I compare them to the shows that I love to fall back on. Not to mention the limited free time that I do have after a long day, I don’t want to spend it sifting through Netflix. So, I suppose I will continue to unwind with Micheal Scott and Snooki until I physically can’t watch anymore. I suggest you keep watching whatever makes you happy, even if it is a guilty pleasure show to get you through tough times.