Comfort Media: Why Do We Watch What We Watch?

As most people would agree, this year has not been easy in any sense; it seems as if things can’t get worse, and then the next day, they do. The pandemic has not been merciful to the American population and our current President is to blame for that, and we’ve begun to live under a curtain of unease that we have accepted as our new normal. A lot of us aren’t good at adjusting to change, especially at this caliber. Just a mere year ago, we were huddled in subway cars and thinking very little of it. Now, crowding in a small space like that without a mask could kill people. So what do we do when we’re riddled with discomfort? Easy. We seek out comfort, whether it be baking, reading, or watching a movie that makes you happy, a “comfort” movie or show, if you will. 

David Sims wrote for The Atlantic that “comfort movies…evoke a certain mood or atmosphere, or transport viewers to a world they’ll want to revisit.” The concept of comfort movies became increasingly popular due to the revival of multiple series’ popularity on TikTok including Twilight, Harry Potter, and Glee. These are films and shows from our childhood that while we may have loved, we didn’t necessarily continue to watch frequently until this point. People began to seek these “worlds,” or different realities that are created through the films and shows, as a way to seek comfort amidst an unprecedented time of uncertainty. According to Newsweek, Gen Z, or people from ages 18-23, are reported to have the highest stress level of any other generation. That’s heavy and a pandemic is not necessarily helping to put out the fire. We’re infamous for using humor as a coping mechanism for a lot of severe traumatic events that some of us face and don’t know how to process, but another coping mechanism that many are beginning to utilize is that of “comfort media.” 

From my own personal experience, I have derived somewhat of an idea as to why we begin to seek comfort and feelings of calmness from worlds and characters that do not exist. As is common with most things, when you continually watch the same movie or the same television show, you become familiar with it: the plot, the characters, the environments within the show, the overall mood and tone. I’m addicted to watching Criminal Minds right now and while I love other shows like Outer Banks and Schitt’s Creek, I’m so adjusted to watching Criminal Mindson a daily basis, that the idea of shifting what I’m viewing is almost uncomfortable for me. I don’t want to watch those other shows, even if I love them; I want to watch my comfort show because it has been properly ingrained into my daily schedule. In this way, I can say that I have become somewhat dependent on this show to make me feel at ease and comfortable. Saying I feel “safe,” is a bit of a stretch, but safety and comfort aren’t always synonymous. 

The attachment that we form to certain films and shows is also associated with nostalgia. Especially with the aforementioned Harry Potter and Twilight, we can see people in the adult Gen Z category shifting back to movies from their younger years. Most people associate their childhood with safety and less stress, a time in our lives where we weren’t so burdened by what was going on around us. These certain films and series can help evoke and amplify that feeling, even if it is fleeting and lasts only the duration of the movie; it transports us not only to another world with those characters, but it transports us back to a time in our lives when our worries were minimal. 

In some cases as well, the characters we see on screen have a strong moral compass and this can be extremely comforting to see in a time where our country is teetering on a Civil War. When we watch these shows and movies and see heroes defeating the evils, whether it be Captain America, the BAU agents from Criminal Minds, or Harry Potter fighting Voldemort. When all that is around us is nothing but chaos and tumult, seeing characters that represent the good we wish to see is something that keeps us motivated. There is good in the world: in places and in people, and these characters prove it! A lot of the individuals in power that we see are corrupt, in many different ways, so seeing characters that represent purity and goodness is attractive. We continue to watch these shows because seeing good makes us feel good. To counter this, however, we can’t discredit that some people’s comfort movies lie in series and television shows that are scary or psychologically thrilling; some people also like the shows with downright horrible characters (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia...great show, but their characters are horrible humans). 

The concept of watching scary shows or movies may seem a little contradictory to some. How can things that incite fear also be a source of comfort? For most of my young teens, I watched Scream, the original, on repeat every single day. I have no explanation for it, but I did it. Watching things that are downright disturbing and awful is a just valid coping mechanism as well. The world, as I’ve said, is fairly awful and we never know what’s going on behind closed doors in individuals’ lives; sometimes seeing things that are so horrible helps people process their emotions about the reality they are unable to physically escape. It’s almost like when you’re trying to talk about your feelings and someone inevitably mutters, “It could always be worse.” In moments like that when you’re engaging with media that is unsettling, the media delivers that message to its viewers in a way that’s a little less condescending than those passing utterances.

2020 has shown us a lot of things, some of them pretty and some of them downright horrendous, let’s be frank. One of the more positive lessons I’ve taken from this year, though, is that one shouldn’t feel shame in rejoicing for the little things, you should feel pride in doing so. If a movie or a show makes you happy and feel good, so be it. We need to savor those moments as much as we can because sometimes what’s going on in the world isn’t going to be all that great and there’s no harm in indulging yourself in things that make you feel better during those times. If you want to watch all the seasons of Glee because it makes you feel good, go for it. If you want to watch the Great British Baking Show because that one judge makes you smile, do it. Engage in your guilty (shouldn’t be guilty) pleasures because life is too short and limited to restrict yourself from the tiny things that bring you the joy and comfort you deserve.