Is binge-watching problematic?

I was catching up with a TV show recently and fell headfirst into a fictional world of costumes and questionable wigs. I wondered about the characters, replaying scenes in my mind, and eventually, I binge-watched the entire show run in about a week. Why was I unable to pace myself? What compels us to spend hours on end watching the same show? And what drives the obsessive thinking that this leads to, or sometimes, the sadness or restlessness that comes when the show is over?

What is binge-watching?

Binge-watching is watching multiple episodes of television (TV) series in a single session over an extended period (Walton‐Pattison et al., 2018 as cited by Alfonsi et al., 2022).

Binge-watching is not a recent phenomenon, but thanks to the internet and the rise of online streaming, it has become a societal norm. Bored? Binge-watch a box set. Sad? Binge-watch the Fast & Furious series. There are no restrictions and people have full control over the content they are watching. What happens when we combine binge-watching with problems that people may face? Does it have a positive or negative impact?

Studies show that 50% of adults aged 45 or younger can binge-watch an entire season in one sitting (Editor’s Note: My record is 18 episodes of a 22-episode season in one weekend!). Young people and women are more likely to binge-watch. There are many reasons people binge-watch. This can be gratification, enjoyment, social status (what else is there to talk about at work?), stress relief, relaxation and dealing with negative emotions. The most desirable trait of binge-watching is the control it gives people. They are not following a TV guide or schedule, instead; they get to choose what they watch and when.

What are the effects of binge-watching?

emotional fulfilment	Negative effects of binge-watching
social inclusion	developing behavioural addictions
fixed cost	sleep problems,
enhances friendships	emotional fulfilment
attention to detail	depression
sense of community	anxiety
stress relief	loneliness
emotional fulfillment	stress

Evidence and research show that watching a lot of TV in one sitting repeatedly may adversely affect people’s health and mental well-being. Binge-watching shares some similar traits with addictive behaviour, although more research is needed before it is classified as an addiction. According to an article in the Journal of Sleep Research, people who cannot sleep well are more likely to turn to binge-watching (guilty!) to cope with unfavourable emotions. I watch more TV while trying to sleep than at any other time. Increased daytime sleepiness results from people using binge-watching as an escape or stress reliever and over time, it may worsen sleep quality.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. There are some positive upsides to binge-watching (Table 1). An article in BMC Public Health found some binge-watchers do not feel like it impacts their health or emotional well-being beyond some disruption to their day-to-day routine. The main positive effect is social inclusion – having something in common with friends and co-workers. This can be key to fitting in and navigating what can often be the murky world of socialising. Dopamine also plays a vital role in binge-watching. It is a neurotransmitter secreted by the brain that makes us feel happy and excited or ‘high’ in a sense. The more people watch their favourite shows, the more dopamine is released, encouraging them to continue watching more episodes.

What about the overthinking?

Picture this moment. It is the last episode of the last season of your current obsession. You don’t want it to end, but it is inevitable. What choices are there? Well, if you are anything like me – you either spend hours looking up the cast on Wikipedia or go right back to the beginning. I will spend weeks watching the same episodes over and over. There’s a term for this too – mere-exposure effect. This is when people like something because they are used to it. For individuals with anxiety or general stress, binge-watching offers the perfect escape. Viewers form attachments to the characters and live vicariously through them, using fictional issues to distract them from their actual problems.

In terms of overthinking, the chances are that people who obsess over TV shows tend to ruminate in general. The American Psychiatric Association states that rumination involves:

repetitive thinking or dwelling on negative feelings and distress and their causes and consequences.The repetitive, negative aspect of rumination can contribute to the development of depression or anxiety and can worsen existing conditions.

Binge-watching can then influence this kind of behaviour. While this does not sound like the end of the world, an article in Psychologica Belgica theorised that binge-watching helps or increases dysfunctional emotional regulation, suggesting that unconstructive thinking plays a part in determining if viewers are positively or negatively affected by binge-watching. Researchers found that the tendency to focus on negative thoughts affects the link between negative emotions and coping/escape mechanisms. However, the study also says that overthinking can be responsible for why people who feel down can find some comfort in binge-watching.

Tips for dealing with binge-watching

Take a break

If you find yourself saying ‘just one more episode‘ it’s time to hit pause and find another activity to do.

Set time limits

Before I succumbed to binge-watching, I was known for posting judgemental opinions on Twitter about how bad it was. I used to watch a maximum of two episodes of the same show per day because, after that point, I would feel myself getting sucked in and I needed a mental break. Typically, I’d say two hours per day of the same show is the way to go. It’s much easier to walk away when you have not spent four hours with the same characters.

Keep track of time

Make a note of the time you start watching a TV show and make sure you’re not exceeding a reasonable duration.

Watch with other people

If you’re watching a long with a friend (or two!), this may help in pacing yourself. With different schedules and priorities, you’re unlikely to burn through an excessive amount of episodes per session.

Conclusion

Binge-watching is not necessarily a bad thing, however, it is true what they say – everything in moderation.

I’ll leave you with this brief video that covers the same topic. I especially love the fact that people who watch less TV burn more calories even if they are not doing any physical activity. Sign me up for burning more calories, please!

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10 Pros and Cons of Binge-Watching

Alfonsi V, Varallo G, Scarpelli S, Gorgoni M, Filosa M, De Gennaro L, Musetti A, Franceschini C. ‘‘This is the last episode’: the association between problematic binge‐watching and loneliness, emotion regulation, and sleep‐related factors in poor sleepers. J Sleep Res. 2023 Feb;32(1):e13747. doi: 10.1111/jsr.13747. Epub 2022 Oct 17. PMID: 36254098; PMCID: PMC10078456.

Alimoradi Z, Jafari E, Potenza MN, Lin CY, Wu CY, Pakpour AH. Binge-Watching and Mental Health Problems: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Aug 6;19(15):9707. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19159707. PMID: 35955069; PMCID: PMC9368441.

Binge Watching | Northeast Medicine

Chang YJ, Peng CY. Exploring experiences of binge-watching and perceived addictiveness among binge-watchers: a qualitative study. BMC Public Health. 2022 Dec 6;22(1):2285. doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-14789-z. PMID: 36474226; PMCID: PMC9724272.

Psychiatry.org – Rumination: A Cycle of Negative Thinking

Stuck to a screen always? Here are 5 pretty serious disadvantages of binge watching

The Benefits of Binge-Watching: Surprising Insights

Why am I rewatching the same TV show again? | Healthwatch Essex