Just Because Itâs Familiar Doesnât Mean Itâs Boring: A Look At Why We Still Love Whatâs Old
While thereâs a never-ending flow of new TV shows vying for our attention, most people I know tell me that theyâre also watching reruns of old favorites⊠making their ways through Seinfeld, The Wire, The West Wing for the third, fourth, and fifth times. For me, itâs Friends.
But why? The visual quality is relatively poor, the references are dated, and the fashion can only bring back bad memories.
Social Psychologists have found that re-watching shows does much more than appeal to a sense of nostalgia, often assumed to be the simple motivator. The benefits are vast, ranging from relaxation/ energy restoration to emotional comfort. These benefits come from the âfamiliarityâ of characters who audiences have perhaps formed relationships with and the ease (read: lack of stress, less attention required) of watching something when you know the outcome.
This re-consumption exists with movies and books as well â but is not just limited to media. Â While some of the motivations and benefits are directly related to the fictional stories, you can see similar repeat behaviors in things such as vacations and even product purchases.
As such, Marketing Professor Cristel Russel of American University claims,
âUnderstanding re-consumption and the motivations behind it is incredibly important. If we can look at the underlying drivers of re-consumption, we can help businesses to better understand their customers and help them create products that consumers will use again and again.â
While people are tempted by whatâs shiny and new, we shouldnât underestimate the value of rituals, nostalgia and old âfriends,â be they people or products.