Does anyone else find binge watching dulls memory?

[ToothGrinder]

I don't do it very often but with series where I have watched multiple episodes very quickly, I don't seem to remember them as well as series I've watched more gradually. On the back of that, I'm wondering if I got a lower mental return from them.

I do know that in other situations eg if I'm working uninterrupted on something I reach a point where I'm less productive even if I'm not fatigued, but if I stop and come back the next day I'm faster and more agile on my return to the activity.

I think with a complex matter I need some time away from input/activity to let things percolate without consciously thinking about it and I wonder if this is true for those multi episode TV shows.

Anyone else find similar?

Absolutely - I've often thought this myself 🤔

I always thought this too, then I heard a psychologist talking about it and was delighted I was right! Apparently when we watch in stages, we lay down more memory of what we watched, ie thinking or talking about it between episodes and we have to recall the plot/characters. When we binge, we don't, so we don't remember it as well. Made sense to me.

Yes, that does make sense.

I guess you think about a programme between episodes and also you have to recall a lot quickly when you start researching.

Yes, definitely. Same with books. I took my time with the last few and got a lot more from them. Usually I read a book in a day or two and often I will find I've downloaded a book I have already read and hadn't recognised it from the blurb.
I forget entire series, so when the next one comes out, I've no idea what happened.

It's the same I find if you read a whole series of books by one author.

I don't have much recall either way. Tv shows get watched then mentally disposed of. I rarely get invested in the storylines - it's just mindless entertainment to allow me to switch off. I'm caught out a lot as people discuss & disect them & I'm like 'what?'. Haha. I couldn't even tell the names of half the GOT characters & I watched all of it. (I remember the crap ending though.)

If I binge watch, for some reason I notice mistakes and plot holes as the information is close together. Those I remember!

Yes definitely. I only tend to do it now with those shorter programmes that are 10 or 20 minutes long where it’s harder not to!

Oops sorry, not researching - *rewatching

Seems like this is pretty common then? Is it well known?

(Maybe I've heard it previously and forgotten due to having no attention span lol.)

I am the opposite if I leave it a week. I forget everything. Lose my investment in it and sometimes don't go back. If I binge watch I remember more and tie up all yhe loose ends that I forget when its week by week.