The phrase ‘TikTok time’ is one we have all become accustomed to hearing. It’s a solitary activity that can even be done with company. It makes sense for this to be a common activity in a student house when you’re a bit tired or have overly exhausted the same conversations. Whipping out your phone is a low-effort way to signal to your housemates that you’re not interested in engaging with them right now. While there is some great stuff on social media, going to it when you want to shut out the world can be counterproductive.
That’s why the beautiful, communal experience of watching TV together is what you really ought to be doing.
That’s why the beautiful, communal experience of watching TV together is what you really ought to be doing. Let's take Celebrity Traitors. I’ve not felt the excitement of knowing I’m going to be sitting on the sofa, ready to watch at precisely 8 pm, since the X Factor glory days. In fact, according to The Guardian, 1.6 million 16-34-year-olds tuned in to watch S2 E1 live. Having those two hours a week when our house is focused on something other than ourselves or each other is a form of downtime far more enjoyable than mindlessly watching somebody else's morning routine and comparing it to your own.
Such high viewing figures would suggest that doomscrolling hasn’t had as much impact on TV watching as we might think. However, I’d take these figures as a testament to the quality of TV, rather than evidence of a growing lack of screen time. In fact, over the last couple of years, stories have been circulating, claiming that streaming services are asking their writers to make dialogue simpler and more ‘on the nose’, aware that people watching are probably swiping through Instagram or doing their weekly food shop.
Just the other day, four of us were watching The Love Hypothesis on Amazon Prime. It was perfect, trashy, but well-constructed. However, when one of my housemates went to bed mid-way through, I realised there was no longer a steady flow of viral sounds playing from the corner of the room. What surprised me was how unbothered I’d been by this disturbance, and how we are used to information coming at us from all directions. Not only that, but once the doomscroller in the group had left, the sense of engagement in the room felt stronger, making the viewing experience better.
No, I don’t think doomscrolling has killed student house TV. Walking down my road at night, I peer into living room after living room, lit up by Amazon fairy lights and the glare of a TV with questionable sound quality. When I was younger, I dreamed of a life where I could sit and watch TV all day, and at uni, that became surprisingly in reach. So, to get the most out of it, put the phone down.