Małgorzata Kisilowska-Szurmińska

Celem przedstawionego w tym artykule badania jest pokazanie różnic i ewolucji w sposobie definiowania fenomenu binge watching w kontekście perspektyw i problemów badawczych podejmowanych przez badaczy. Na podstawie pogłębionej analizy literatury przedmiotu, obejmującej 125 publikacji za lata 2014–2021, wyodrębniono dominujący w tekstach sposób definiowania tego terminu. Opisano również ewolucję jego interpretacji, wynikającą z rozwoju wiedzy dotyczącej motywów, sposobów i efektów bingowania, a na końcu zaproponowano własną definicję zjawiska.

Binge watching – defining the phenomenon based on a literature review

The aim of the study is to discuss differences in defining the phenomenon of binge watching, and evolution of this process, considering research perspectives and problems explored by the authors. The in-depth literature analysis of 125 academic publications for the years 2014–2021 revealed the definition most often applied in the studies. Evolution of the interpretation of the binge watching term is also offered, related to increase of knowledge of motives, modes, and effects of binging, and finally, a proprietary definition of the phenomenon was proposed.

Keywords: binge watching, binge viewing, marathon viewing, media marathoning.

Binging – and binge-watching in particular – has been receiving growing interest from communication scientists for a couple of years. Thus, after five decades of watching audiovisual content according to TV schedules, a recipient gained more autonomy regarding the content and ways of watching. The author aims to analyse the factors influencing the potential permanence of this specific way of media consumption, with literature review as the main method. These factors include different definitions of the concept, synonyms, applying the binging term to different media formats (binge-watching – binge-listening – binge-reading – binge-gaming), technological and social circumstances. These factors differ in their quality and scale. Will their convergence and synergy permanently change the practices of media consumption? Referring to previous changes in media differentiation, accessibility, and reception, although binging would probably become rather next, but not the dominating form of media practices of leisure time. The cognitive value of the article is to offer a theoretical basis for further quantitative and qualitative research on the reception of different media formats and genres; binging included.