TV show addiction would make for great class at St. Edward’s

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“Game of Thrones” is one show a class could focus on.

The selection of psychology classes offered at St. Edward’s University is adequate.

Psychology students can get a taste of different aspects of the area of study by taking classes like child development, theories of personality, and behavioral neuroscience.

What the psychology program lacks, however, are more obscure, fun classes that can count as electives for psych majors. Since the majority of Americans are fascinated with contemporary television series, it would be ideal to see a class dedicated to the psychology and neuroscience behind their captivation.

Does an addiction to a TV show, like coffee or heroin, begin at neuronal synapses? Can binge-watching TV shows be considered an addiction? What personalities are more prone to developing a TV addiction? Each of these questions could be addressed in the class.

A class linking psychology to TV series addictions would engage students, as it is a topic relevant to our generation.

Perhaps every college-aged student has experienced the sensation of being unable to pull themselves away from the television screen.

Television series in particular seem to have that effect on people. Even if a series is poorly-produced and poorly-written, it often hooks viewers after they watch just the first few episodes. For many, this is the case with “Pretty Little Liars.”

A course examining this phenomenon would help students understand their desire to sit staring at their television for hours, continually selecting the “next episode” option on Netflix. It may even help some break free of this habit.

St. Edward’s could offer this course in two ways: a general class or a show-specific one. For the first option, a class would be generally dedicated to the analysis of multiple television series addiction.

A more-targeted option is to have separate classes for each show. A “Game of Thrones” class would instantly attract students. The classes could change each semester to keep up with the newest shows.

Right now, a “House of Cards” class would be relevant to students, many of whom watched all 13 episodes of season two in one day when it was released in February.

A TV series psychological analysis class could investigate viewer interaction, another interesting aspect of series obsession. Television series provide a medium for instant connection among viewers.

A contagious enthusiasm erupts in “Breaking Bad” fanatics when they meet another person who instantly knows the significance of Los Pollos Hermanos. Conversation between the people instantly becomes engaging and exciting. The trend of TV-series fanaticism has gone on for too long without being analyzed and comprehended by students.

A St. Edward’s class dedicated to the psychological analysis of viewer captivation would be relevant, interesting and refreshing for all students. In particular, a class like this would offer psychology majors an enjoyable elective credit.

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