A psychological theory I found interesting

[BlueKota]

I read years ago that the reason why soap operas were once very popular with college students was because many were away from home for the first time and among people they didn't know quite well yet. So their favorite characters on soaps gave them a sense of familiarity and that provided comfort.

I think that makes sense. Whenever there was bad news I would turn to the local news station my parents always watched whose anchors & reporters stayed for years. The news while still bad, seemed easier to cope with coming from long term familar trusted people.

Those anchors have pretty much all retired and I haven't watched soaps since they canceled All My Children. Oddly though I find myself addicted to watching the Food Network a lot now even though I don't cook much myself. My sister has always loved it and I started to notice how a main core group of chefs love to tease each other in a good natured way, and always manage to make me laugh for a bit, no matter what anxiety the "real world," is causing me.

Does anyone else agree with this theory?

[birdographer]

1. You might be right

I have been watching General Hospital for about 45 years. Every evening while my husband takes a pre-dinner shower and does some dinner prep (he’s more of the cook here), I pour a drink and watch an episode on Hulu. It’s the anchor to my days. It’s a constant and I look forward to it. Not in any way because the show is fascinating (it rarely is) but because it’s something I was doing before all this and I am still doing. It’s an ongoing “story,” and I enjoy the sameness of it. Comfort TV, I guess. So I do agree.

(Weekends not my favorite days…since it wasn’t on, that time is taken up reading. Which is GREAT but I do miss my GH…)

[BlueKota]

4. Comfort TV is the best way to phrase it.

Used to love GH especially in the 1980s.

[stillcool]

2. there is some there there

I gave up television when my husband died a year ago, but recently I've been watching old black and white movies on youtube. It's the sound that has me hooked. Ambient noise from yester-year with an occasional glance and its like a sick-day home from school.

[BlueKota]

5. I am sorry about your husband's passing.

That's great that You Tube has those movie's available.

[Irish_Dem]

3. It is well known that rituals and routine activities decrease stress.

Anything that is a familiar routine can be comforting and distracting.
They provide predictability and structure.

I myself find WWII movies very comforting which may seem odd.
But I am a military kid and the uniforms, rank, military life, etc., are comforting.

And people working together on a common goal, doing what is right,
and working for the American people is uplifting.

[BlueKota]

6. I can understand about the WWII movies.

When the U.S. soldiers fought to protect the better side of humanity.

[Irish_Dem]

7. Yes the fight between good and evil.

In a structure and environment I grew up with.