Lesson Plan: The Truth About Binge-Watching/ Beat the Binge

Essential Questions

• How do we build positive habits and curb negative ones? 
• How do we use technology to enhance our lives and not detract from them? 

Literature Connection

• Poem: “Television” by Roald Dahl

Activate Prior Knowledge (5 minutes)

Ask students about the last time they sat in front of a screen watching something for much longer than they had planned to. How did it happen? What were the consequences? How did it make them feel? Give students a few minutes to discuss these experiences. Let them know that in today’s lesson they’ll learn about the causes and effects of binge-watching, as well as practical ways to manage the habit.

Preview Text Features (15 minutes)

Guide students to locate the articles. Then preview the text features by asking the following questions:

• Read the title of the first article, “The Truth About Binge-Watching,” and its subtitle (“Why we love it. Why we must stop.”). Ask students to make predictions about the negative consequences of binge-watching. Answers may include: losing sleep, not making enough time for friends and family, spending too much time sitting or lying down.
• Read the title and subtitle of the second article. Think about the phrase “glued to your TV, computer, or phone.” Create an image of this in your mind. What does it look like? Does the glue feel cold or warm? How do your hands feel operating your device? How might this sensation make you feel “powerless”? Answers will vary.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

• Point out the vocabulary boxes. Read the words (agony, marathon, depression, disable, enlist) aloud and discuss their definitions.
• Play the Vocabulary Slideshow.

Make a Plan for Reading

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan: 

• Set a purpose for reading by telling students that the articles discuss why we binge-watch and what we can do to control the habit.
• Tell students that after they read, they’ll synthesize information from the two articles to better understand causes, effects, and possible solutions for reducing binge-watching.

Guide students to read the articles. Once they understand them well, discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

• Based on the meaning of binge-watching, what do you think the word binge means? For instance, what might binge-eating look like? (vocabulary) Binge-watching means watching hours of something in one sitting. You can guess that the word binge means “a period of time in which you overdo something” (noun) or “to do much more of something than you need or even want to” (verb). Binge-eating means eating much more than you need to eat—for instance, eating an entire large pizza in one sitting.
• What are two things streaming services do that encourage viewers to binge-watch?  (cause and effect) Streaming services often release entire seasons of a show at once, which means viewers can watch episodes back-to-back. Also, these services often start one video as soon as another video ends. That makes it harder to walk away.
• What are two things you can do to counteract (fight against) the ways in which streaming services are designed to keep you hooked? (Hint: Look for the answer in the second article.) (key details) Two things you can do to fight the power that streaming services have to keep you hooked are turning off autoplay and taking breaks while watching. Autoplay is the default option for most streaming platforms, but it can be disabled, which would keep you from being tempted to continue watching. Taking breaks is a good way to break the binge cycle. (Setting a limit and asking for help are also acceptable answers.)

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

• In your opinion, how might a person’s life change if they were to give up binge-watching? (cause and effect) Answers will vary. Encourage students to give examples from their own lives of activities they would have more time for (e.g., painting, playing soccer, spending time with Grandma) or physical/emotional states they would achieve (happier, lighter, more focused, less tired, etc.).
• The first article states that 40 percent of teens say they binge-watch weekly. What is your reaction to this statistic? Do you find it surprising? Worrisome? About what you would expect? Support your answer with details from the articles. (critical thinking) Answers will vary. Encourage students to discuss whether 40 percent is more or less than what they would have guessed. Some students may argue that the statistic is worrisome—40 percent of teens binge-watching is alarming when you consider that too much screen time makes us tired and depressed. Others might say that it seems fairly normal and that binge-watching can be a social activity shared with family and friends.

• Have students work in pairs or small groups to complete our Synthesizing activity.  (Click here to view all of your Skill Builders.)
• Writing Prompt: Setting an intention can help you be mindful about your binge-watching habits. Take 10 minutes or so to write freely about when, how, and why you binge-watch. How does it begin? What lures you in? When you’re “in the zone,” how do you feel? What thoughts go through your head when you’re on the third, fourth, or fifth episode of a show that you wanted to watch just one episode of? After contemplating these questions, write down three things you will do differently this week to respect the limits you set for yourself.