With the latest season of ‘Suits’ out online, B. Suhavana plonked down on her couch to catch up on a couple of episodes on the happenings in a top law firm in New York city.
Six hours passed before she switched off her computer screen. Pausing only for water breaks, she watched half of the entire season in one go. “It just kind of happened,” the 24 year-old psychology postgraduate recalls.
For a generation craving entertainment quick and fast, binge watching seems all but inevitable. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as “watching multiple episodes of a television program in rapid succession, typically by means of DVDs or digital streaming”. The phenomenon has changed the means by which viewers consume television, significantly impacting the economics of the industry which is founded on advertising and syndicated re-runs.
Cashing in, online media services like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime have started releasing entire seasons of television shows in one go. This has allowed for shows like ‘Breaking Bad’ and ‘True Detective’ to be devoured by fans across the globe.
Arun Pandiyan, a young professional who admits to being guilty of binge watching, says, “It’s the continuity which works for me. Waiting every week to know what happens next amidst a barrage of advertisements is way too annoying.”
At other times it’s sheer convenience which drives binge watching. Suhavana says, “It’s difficult to follow shows when you are busy with work. But when you have some time on your hands, it’s the simplest thing to do.”
*****
The next time work and life have combined to stress you out, consider movement therapy. Just as some youngsters in the city already have.
Also known as dance movement therapy, this is the use of improvised movements to treat various problems, based on the premise that the mind and body are interrelated.
Preetha Ramasubra-manian, a city-based movement psychotherapist, describes it as “an approach where a person’s physical, cognitive, social and emotional beings are enriched.”
Believed to improve self-esteem, attentiveness and communication skills, movement therapy is popular amongst a wide range of people, Ms. Ramasubramanian says, “It has become quite popular amongst young working couples, especially those from the IT sector, who have marital disputes. The therapy helps them de-stress, release anger and also figure out how to express their emotions.”
For young couples, the therapy is seen as an alternative to marriage counselling, and can be scheduled for either one party or both, Ms. Ramasubramanian claims. “Once they have discovered what their emotions really are and how to express them, it helps them deal with the issues in their marriage,” she says.
Over the last year or so, she has a seen a dozen or so couples, she adds.
Professionals and children with special needs also seek the therapy, she says. “Sometimes, I use specific dance movements, at other times I just allow them to move however they like,” she says.
In some cases, people with severe pain, related to an illness, also seek movement therapy, according to her.
A city-based homemaker who is undergoing therapy says it made her more aware of herself and her feelings. “It loosened me up and helped me become more expressive. It was like a fountain that just opened up.”
