Recently, you have developed a new habit (or perhaps “ritual” would be a more accurate term) for any evening that you spend at home during the week. Before going to bed, you lie on your sofa and watch two or three episodes of an old sitcom from the 1990s, like Friends.

But over the past month or so, on several occasions a certain thought may have occurred to you. Maybe something along the lines of, “I really should break this habit because it provides no intellectual benefits at all.”

　　However, you are not alone in these so-called nostalgia TV sessions. It turns out that many people are also fans of watching old sitcoms. According to research, these shows make up for what they lack in intellectual stimulation with plenty of emotional benefits.

For example, Friends may have been a show that you greatly enjoyed in your younger days before becoming an adult. Therefore, watching this lighthearted comedy conjures up feelings of happy nostalgia that provide much-needed comfort.

　　In times of stress, nostalgia TV can offer emotional support to humans. It might even be compared to how people feel when spending time with old friends or receiving a hug from a parent. This is largely because old shows take us back to a simpler time in our lives before the stresses and responsibilities of adulthood set in.

　　Throughout the past year or so, people in every corner of the world have had their lives altered in some way by the coronavirus pandemic. Businesses have been forced to shut down. The plans many people had to travel or study have been put on hold.

Most frightening of all, many people have to live with the ever-present fear of falling ill. Given this harsh reality, nostalgia TV may now be more useful than it ever was before. It has become a way for people to feel grounded and secure in the face of anxiety and uncertainty. Best of all, it may even help you sleep better.