America’s favorite pastime is watching TV. According to a recent study by Comcast, the average household watches up to 66 hours per week of television. Over the past year in lockdown, we have had more time than ever to catch up on shows and discover new ones, which made us wonder: Which shows have Baruch students been watching on repeat during the pandemic? What makes them so addicting? And what accompaniment makes the binge-watching experience even more enjoyable? 

For Samantha Li, a sophomore, it’s “Criminal Minds.” A show “…about a team of FBI agents who analyze a crime to create a rough profile of the person so that they can catch them,” Binge-watching  “Criminal Minds” has made Samantha’s TV knowledge reach beyond the couch, as she tells us: “I used to watch this every morning on the subway, and I would observe people for fun, trying to ‘profile’ them.” The power of a good show can alter one’s perspective throughout daily life. And now, with so much time on her hands because of COVID-19 lockdowns, she finds herself flying through hours of episodes a day. Another popular choice? “The Office.” “Any time I watch that show, it’s just so hard not to binge!” says Maddy Goldstein, a sophomore. Maddy loves “how the humor is so subtle and all the characters are ordinary people, which makes the show so interesting and enjoyable.” 

Baruch junior Morgan Gochberg is also a big binge-watcher, and he even strategizes in his TV picks. “I study Netflix to see what the New Releases are and then watch their trailers to find out their plotline,” Gochberg says. “Then I set notifications for when it’s coming out, and I’ll either watch it then or add to my list until I have time.” His current “binge-worthy” show is “Outer Banks”—a popular one that allows him to connect with others throughout this isolating time. “I sat inside watching the show for two days, after everyone else was just starting it or was more than halfway through,” he says. “It became a thing to talk with people about at the beginning of COVID.” 

While their taste in TV shows varies, all the students we interviewed agreed on one thing: In order for a binge-watching experience to be enjoyable, you need a good snack in hand! Freshman Sam Wagman likes movie snacks such as popcorn or dark chocolate-covered almonds.  Sophomore, Jacob Kerstein prefers Goldfish, which he claims “taste even better if you’re eating them while watching TV.” Another sophomore, Jackson Levitz, watches his shows with a more unique snack: chicken wings. “Eating wings while watching TV is the best way to enjoy both at the same time,” he tells us. Overall though, most of the students we spoke with would rather have something sweet. According to Maximus Mcelroy, Bebe Wallace, Lila Ferber, Michael Novick, and Dina Neljkovic, the best snack to enjoy while binge-watching is a bowl of ice cream.