How Columbia students get taken in by television shows

Many students take comfort in the line-up of TV shows they follow. But, every once in a while, one needs to add a new show to the repertoire. So, how do students get hooked on new shows for the first time? As a growing number of college students consistently watch TV online, one might think that TV viewing is becoming an increasingly solitary activity. But according to interviews with Columbia students, TV watchers are still striving to introduce their friends to their favorite series. “I usually start watching a new show because a friend recommends it,” said Sara Lederman, BC ’12. Lederman claims the recommendation of a friend is powerful enough to keep her watching a show even if she finds it initially dissatisfying. “For instance,” Lederman said, “I started to watch ‘How I Met Your Mother’ because my cousin insisted that it was the best show. The first few episodes were mediocre, and I usually would have stopped watching, but I continued because my cousin was so enthusiastic. Now it’s one of my favorite shows.” John Haney, CC ’11, agreed with Lederman. He also relayed another motivation for trying out friends’ recommendations—taking part in weekly rehashing and conversations about particular shows. “For ‘Dexter,’ ‘The Office,’ ‘Weeds,’ and ‘South Park,’ I got into it because all of my friends were always talking about them and how funny and awesome they were, so it made me want to try it out.” With full seasons available both on DVD and online, it is now easier than ever to become hooked on a new TV show. Sara Liben, GS/JTS ’13, said, “Over a six-day span, I watched the first two seasons of ‘How I Met Your Mother’ on DVD, and then I found the first few episodes of season three online, which I watched just in time for the newest episode to air on TV, which I continued to watch religiously every week.” TV executives will be glad to know, however, that word of mouth alone does not determine college students’ viewing habits. If a show is well advertised, students take notice. “For ‘House,’ I just got into it through commercials and advertising,” Haney said. But once a student has made the decision to add a new title to his or her “Favorite TV Shows” on Facebook, how does weekly viewing become an addictive ritual? The most common way, it seems, is through a mob mentality. “My friends and I are in love with the show ‘Glee,’” said Lederman. “It is one of those shows that you need to experience with friends while belting out the songs with Lea Michele and company… I associate ‘Glee’ with spending time with my friends.” Making weekly episode viewings a group activity seems to strengthen both the bond among the viewers and the viewers’ bond with the show. Lederman also acknowledged a secondary appeal of immersing oneself in a new cast of characters, which has nothing to do with her friendships: escapism. “It reminds me that there is a world that exists outside of Morningside Heights.”