The Great Rewatch Trap
Why do we keep rewatching the same shows?
It’s not just nostalgia, it’s survival. In this episode, we dig into the psychology, platform design, and quiet economics behind one of the most common habits in streaming culture: the rewatch.
From emotional burnout to algorithmic nudges, we explore how comfort viewing has become the default—and what we lose when familiarity becomes the primary measure of value. The loop feels personal, but it’s also strategic. It soothes us, sells to us, and slowly reshapes how we engage with stories.
Also: dopamine, The Office, choice architecture, Friends cast royalties, and why new things feel harder than ever to start.
Sources & References
Psychology & Rewatching Behaviour
CEO Weekly. “The Comfort TV Phenomenon: Why We Keep Returning to Familiar Shows.” CEO Weekly, 2023.
https://ceoweekly.com/the-comfort-tv-phenomenon-why-we-keep-returning-to-familiar-shows/Derrick, Jaye L., Shira Gabriel, and Kurt Hugenberg. “Social Surrogacy: How Favored Television Programs and Movies Can Fulfill Attachment Needs.” Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2009.
https://ubwp.buffalo.edu/gabriellab/wp-content/uploads/sites/65/2025/04/Derrick-J.-L.-Gabriel-S.-Hugenberg-K.-J.-2009.-Social-surrogacy-How-favored-television-programs-provide-the-experience-of-belonging.pdfGabriel, Shira, and Ariana F. Young. “Becoming a Vampire Without Being Bitten: The Narrative Collective-Assimilation Hypothesis.” Psychological Science, 2011.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/25835489Healthwatch Essex. “Why Am I Rewatching the Same TV Show Again?” Healthwatch Essex, December 2023.
https://healthwatchessex.org.uk/2023/12/why-am-i-rewatching-the-same-tv-show-again/Russell, Cristel Antonia, and Sidney J. Levy. “The Temporal and Focal Dynamics of Voluntary Reconsumption.” Gwern.net (reprint), 2012.
https://gwern.net/doc/culture/2012-russell.pdfSetoodeh, Ramin. “Why Rewatching TV Shows Feels So Good.” Psychology Today, June 2021.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/people-are-strange/202106/why-rewatching-tv-shows-feels-so-goodDucharme, Jamie. “Why Rewatching Your Favorite TV Show Is Good for You.” Time Magazine, May 23, 2022.
https://time.com/6177365/why-do-i-rewatch-tv-shows/
Platform Design, Fatigue & Behaviour
Academy of Marketing Studies. “The Intersection of Information Overload, Emotional Exhaustion, and Social Media Fatigue: A Comprehensive Literature Review.” ABAcademies.org, 2023.
https://www.abacademies.org/articles/the-intersection-of-information-overload-emotional-exhaustion-and-social-media-fatigue-a-comprehensive-literature-review-16635.htmlThe Battalion. “Media Fatigue and Its Effects on Young Adults.” TheBatt.com, 2023.
https://thebatt.com/life-arts/media-fatigue-and-its-effects-on-young-adults/Nielsen. “Tops of 2020: Nielsen Streaming Unwrapped.” Nielsen, 2021.
https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2021/tops-of-2020-nielsen-streaming-unwrapped/Świątek, Agata Hiacynta et al. “Problematic Smartphone Use and Social Media Fatigue: The Mediating Role of Self-Control.” Psychology research and behavior management vol. 16 211-222, 2023.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9884050/Wang, Tawei, and Xuefei Nancy Deng. “User characteristics, social media use, and fatigue during the coronavirus pandemic: A stressor-strain-outcome framework.” Computers in human behavior reports vol. 7, 2022.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9300513/
Choice Architecture, Familiarity & Neuropsychology
Dougherty, Matthew R., Anuya Patil, Katherine D. Duncan. “On a roll: Recent familiarity primes the brain to retrieve other memories via dopaminergic nuclei mechanisms.” bioRxiv, 2025.
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.28.646007v2.fullRadova, Kristina. “Choice Architecture – Everything You Need to Know.” InsideBE, 2025.
https://insidebe.com/articles/choice-architectureS.A.A., Junaid. “Choice Architecture in Interaction Design: Libertarianism vs. Paternalism.” UX Planet, 2018.
https://uxplanet.org/choice-architecture-in-interaction-design-libertarianism-vs-paternalism-72fcac4557a2Wikipedia. “Familiarity Heuristic.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Familiarity_heuristicWikipedia. “Mere-Exposure Effect.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mere-exposure_effect
Streaming Economics & Rewatch ROI
Hedash, Kara. “Friends: How Much The Cast STILL Gets Paid.” Screen Rant, 2020.
https://screenrant.com/friends-cast-paid-how-much-2020-updates/Soliman, Renz. “Friends Cast Still Earns $20 Million Yearly from Reruns.” International Business Times, 2018.
https://www.ibtimes.com/friends-cast-still-earns-20-million-yearly-show-reruns-3229592Goldberg, Lesley. “‘Friends’ Officially Leaving Netflix for WarnerMedia’s Streaming Service.” The Hollywood Reporter, 2019.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/friends-officially-leaving-netflix-warnermedias-streaming-service-1223151/Gavin, Hailey. “Netflix Paid $100 Million to Keep Streaming ‘Friends.’” Slate, 2018.
https://slate.com/culture/2018/12/netflix-friends-streaming-100-million.html
Music Credits
Lester Woodward (Blue Fox Music):
“Stargazer” (theme music)
Euchmad:
Simon Victor Linsteadt:
Soundroll:
