The unexpected social benefits of binge-watching TV by yourself

When I moved to a new city where I didn't know anyone, I watched TV to pass the time — and discovered a new way to make connections

Keeping up with television can connect you with friends from afar.
(Image credit: Tang Yau Hoong/Ikon Images/Corbis)

A year ago, I had never watched 30 Rock. I had never seen the high school football team take the field in Dillon, Texas. I had no opinion on whether Ross and Rachel were really on a break.

What I did know was this: I had just moved to New York City, where I didn't know anyone. My family lived in the opposite corner of the U.S., 2,500 miles away, and my friends were spread out across the country.

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Kimberly Alters

Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.