30 Aug 5 Ways Binge Watching Affect Your Mental Health and How to Stop
The streaming era is not how it used to be.
Popular streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime now play the next episode even before you can fill your snack bowl.
This is what is binge-watching. Or as defined by Netflix, Binge-watching is an act of watching 1-6 episodes of a TV series in a single sitting.
This trend has especially gained momentum during the pandemic. No doubt watching back-to-back episodes levels up your experience.
But is binge-watching a harmless pleasure or a harmful addiction?
While occasional binge-watching can be relaxing and can break your monotony, there could be certain side effects of binge-watching.
Though there’s not much research, the available ones do point toward the ways binge-watching affects mental health and well-being.
Furthermore, the effects of binge-watching on health are not only limited to eyesight issues and lack of physical activity. There are psychological and social effects of binge-watching as well.
Today, we explore how does binge-watching affect your mental health and what can you do to stop and reverse the effects.
But before that a little about binge-watching theory.
Binge-Watching Theory
The theory of binge-watching took place in 2013 and Netflix is the brain behind this idea. Since then, this behavior pattern gained popularity and changed the whole way of watching television.
Now people don’t have to wait a week for the next episodes of their favorite shows. In fact, the whole season is now available at once.
Undoubtedly, binge-watching has become a popular and primary way of spending time, especially among millennials.
As per Netflix survey 2013, around 73% have accepted binge-watching socially without any guilt.
The question is—why do people binge-watch?
Entertainment has always been the most preferable form of escapism to ignore whatever is going on in life. Binge-watching just makes it a piece of cake.
A few hours of break-free episodes of your favorite show can elevate your mood.
However, the sad reality is this doesn’t mean binge-watching is a harmless play.
A study analyzed the effects of binge-watching to students. This analysis took place to understand the online streaming behavior of students and its impact on academic connection. As per results, around 59.2% of students reported they feel distracted from their academics due to the habit.
Clearly, binge-watching has indeed affected the academics of the students, but the major effect binge-watching leave is on mental health.
How Does Binge-Watching Affect Your Mental Health?
The psychological effects of watching TV were already debatable, and binge-watching behavior patterns added fuel to the fire.
Apart from affecting physical well-being, binge-watching is now found to have severe mental health effects. Here’s how does binge-watching can affect your mental health.
- Sleep deprivation
- Impaired social life
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Behavioral change and mood swings
There’s much more evidence for these 5 psychological effects of binge watching than you would imagine.
#1. Sleep Deficiency
There is no denying the fact that mental health and sleep are correlated. The better your sleep, the better will be your mental status.
Sleep is not only vital for physical growth but also for the improvement of your cognitive self. A night of quality sleep keeps you alert, quick, and sharp.
However, if you are binge-watching all the 8 episodes of Locke and key S-3, there’s hardly any chance of even minimum hours of sleep.
A study examined the prevalence of binge watching and its association with sleep and the Role of Pre-Sleep Arousal. For this, around 423 adults (61.9% females) of age 18-25 years completed an online survey.
As a result, around 80.6% identified themselves as binge watcher and nearly 32.6% had poor sleep quality.
Further, binge-watching was associated with poor sleep quality, increased fatigue, and symptoms of insomnia.
Binge-watching restricts your body to shut itself, leading to difficulty in sleeping.
#2. Over Takes Your Social Life
Binge-watching is known to take away social life. After the binge-watching behavior sky-rocketed, people stopped attending social events and started spending time on streaming platforms.
Further, frequent binge-watching sessions make people less likely to accept the invitations, go for outing trips, and visit friends and family.
Those who are into binge watch, often isolate themselves not only from their friends but also from their family. This fairly increased the concern of the parents about how less time their children spent with them.
Many studies have confirmed that binge-watching can be addictive and can cause problematic behavior. This includes ignoring work and personal responsibilities.
People aren’t as aware of their family affairs as they’re about the release date of their favorite Netflix series. The social effects of binge-watching are now more visible than ever.
#3. Gives Rise to Anxiety and Loneliness
What else can you expect if you are in your room watching back-to-back episodes? Watching anything interesting is only better when you share it with someone. Forget about sharing, people often prefer to binge-watch alone.
Getting absorbed in the world of shows for hours and days can only bring loneliness, anxiety, and depression.
So, excess of anything is harmful and it’s the same with binge-watching.
As per a cross-sectional online survey conducted in Taiwan in October 2018, problematic binge-watching is associated with depression, social anxiety, and loneliness.
As per the results, those adults in Taiwan who spent more time on TV binge-watching showed symptoms of anxiety. It also reports that problematic binge-watching also increases the risk of loneliness.
#4. Post-Binge-Watch Depression
It is a common phenomenon among those who stay glued to their laptops, notepads, and TV screens.
There are numerous reports about people feeling anxious when the show comes to an end. People keep thinking about the show and find it hard to get back to reality. The continuous indulgence makes it harder for them to gel up in the social environment.
Also, the binge-watching session creates an idea of a “perfect” world. A relationship that when doesn’t match reality leaves the person devastated and depressed. For instance, the increasing interest in K-drama series is because of how flawless they present romantic relationships.
A few years back, a binge-watcher when interviewed by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, said she felt emptiness and depression just when she finished watching her favorite shows.
Many users on Twitter have also shared the same feeling.
#5. Behavioral Changes
The behavioral changes take place gradually. You must have seen people who don’t socialize and spend more time on their laptops remain moody.
Though people begin to binge-watch to relax and have some fun time, a lot of binge-watching can alter emotions. It can also leave people irritated, moody, and cranky.
Binge-watching, when accompanied by sleeplessness, takes the form of addiction. People continue to binge-watch the whole night. At times, they overindulge themselves to the point that it starts to affect their relationship, job, and study.
People crave for a series to binge-watch just like how some crave alcohol and drugs.
As per the reports published by the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2017, binge-watching may have the same effects addictions have on the brain. Also, binge-watching can also cause a decline in cognitive health.
That’s how does binge watching affect your mental health. Clearly, it has severe impacts on your psychological status. Fortunately, there are always certain steps you can take to reverse its effects.
How to Stop Binge-Watching: Integrate It in a Healthier Way?
If binge-watching is taking away your mental peace, here’s what you can do to restore your mental health.
#1. Put a Limit
The first step you need to take is limiting the time you spend on the TV or your mobile screen watching shows. You can either limit the time or the number of episodes.
To begin with, start with 2 episodes. After reaching the limit, turn off the screen. You might not be able to do it the first time. However, it’s your determination that will help you get the results.
#2. Balance is Everything
Maintaining a balance between real and reel is vital. To explain, try to spend the same amount of time doing things outdoors as you spent binge-watching.
For instance, if you spent 3 hours binge-watching your favorite shows, try to spend the same amount playing or doing outdoor activities.
#3. Indulge in Social Activities
Even if you’re an introvert, to reverse the mental damage done by binge-watching, try to socialize. It could be with your friends, family, or even your colleagues.
Accepting the invitations, joining the outdoor trips, or even a shopping spree will be of much help.
#4. Take Up Extra Hobbies
Learning new things or making a place for new interests are never uncool. To limit your screen time, start learning new things. It could be anything from painting to horse riding to dancing.
#5. Give Up on Unhealthy Snacks
Binge-watching is accompanied by unhealthy snacks. No one sits with a bowl of salad to watch “The Stranger Things”. This lack of nutrition also affects your mental well-being. Hence, when binge-watching, switch to healthier options.
#6. Add Yoga and Mindfulness to Your Routine
Adding yoga, meditation, and mindfulness can definitely provide your mind some peace. If you’re witnessing the side effects of binge-watching, like sleeplessness and mood swings, meditation can be a great addition to your routine.
#7. Watch Light-Hearted Programs
The urge to binge-watch a thriller, mysterious, or horror series is more as compared to comedy ones.
Also, watching too much of intense series might drag you to post binge-watch depression, loneliness, and anxiety. Hence, it’s better to create a shuffle with light-hearted programs.
#8. Don’t Skip Your Sleep Routine
In any case, try not to go past your sleep time. For this, you can try setting an alarm or setting a timer on the TV.
This way you’d be able to go back to bed on time and get quality sleep. This, in turn, will keep you fresh and motivated in the morning.
Plus, how binge-watching affect your health also depends on how much time you spent doing the same. Binge watching for long hours does have implications on your mental health.
Last Episode
There is no end to “just one more episode”.
Binge watching does feel nice and interesting, However, when analyzed in the long run, it has detrimental effects on the mind and body.
While it affects the academic performance of students, binge-watching behavior creates a void in relationships.
Also, binge-watching is also majorly responsible for your inability to fight depression, anxiety, and loneliness.
From giving rise to relationship issues to making you unproductive, there are numerous other ways how binge-watching affects your mental health.
Now before you Netflix and chill, make sure you know it can be addictive. Also, make sure, you are taking the necessary steps to stay clear of addiction.
Now, before you switch to the next episode, share this blog with those who are addicted to binge-watching.
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