TJ Unfiltered

TJ

TJ Unfiltered is a weekly podcast where nothing’s off-limits. The Debrief breaks down current events and pop culture through my lens. Spiral is the ramble episode — wherever my brain wants to go that week. And once a month, The Rewind looks back at everything I’ve consumed — TV, film, music, books, podcasts — with honest reviews and the life lessons that came with them.

Episodes

  1. Sep 27

    Spiral #2: Comfort Shows on Mute

    Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note. A rambly one this week: what actually happens when you rewatch the same shows on loop, and whether it's comfort or something the algorithm built for you. In this episode: • The moment it started — rewatching Gilmore Girls on mute as background noise • My comfort rotation: The Office, Parks and Rec, Brooklyn 99, Grey's Anatomy, Gilmore Girls, New Girl, Private Practice, Station 19 • Being honest about when rewatching did help (predictability during a rough mental health stretch) vs. now, when it's just autopilot • The old "it's just like rewatching my DVDs" excuse — and why that logic aged badly • What psychology says: comfort, reduced uncertainty, and "social snacking" with familiar characters • The 2024 Netflix study on choice overload and decision paralysis • Why subscriptions change the psychology — "I'm paying for this, I should use it" — and the research on platforms building psychological ownership • The content overabundance paradox: more choice, less satisfaction • "Volitional reconsumption" — the academic term for deliberately rewatching, and how streaming made it effortless • A quick history detour: 24-hour news (CNN, 1980) → internet → smartphones → why screens stacked instead of replacing each other • Where I've landed: not quitting rewatches, just aiming for balance over the long timeline Mentioned: • Dr. Chivonna Childs, Cleveland Clinic (comfort viewing and anxiety) • TIME's concept of "social snacking" • 2024 Netflix choice-overload study • 2026 study, Electronic Commerce Research and Applications (psychological ownership & subscriptions) • Longo & Baiyere on content overabundance • 2026 review, Choosing to Re-Experience Movies and TV Episodes • UK ONS screen-time data (2000–2015) • Brasel & Gips (2011) media multitasking study • Nielsen simultaneous TV/internet use data (2008–2009) Got a comfort show you can't quit? Send it my way — want to hear the rotation.

    Spiral #2: Comfort Shows on Mute

About

TJ Unfiltered is a weekly podcast where nothing’s off-limits. The Debrief breaks down current events and pop culture through my lens. Spiral is the ramble episode — wherever my brain wants to go that week. And once a month, The Rewind looks back at everything I’ve consumed — TV, film, music, books, podcasts — with honest reviews and the life lessons that came with them.