Bambi Eloriaga-Amago
Times then were simple. Your favorite television show would air once a week, and the following day saw you eagerly discussing with your friends the latest episode’s dramatic plot twist or cliffhanger. But the advent of the DVD boxed set (seasons of your favorite show collected on one or more discs) and the recent emergence of the internet as the primary source of one’s entertainment fix has given rise to a phenomenon called binge watching, and this has dramatically changed the television landscape, as well as our viewing habits.
Nowadays, entire seasons are available online on YouTube and other similar sites, or can be streamed or downloaded either legally (via services you can subscribe to such as Netflix, iFlix, HOOQ, and Amazon Instant Video) or illegally (via bit torrent, for example.) This means that instead of hanging on tenterhooks week in and week out, waiting for the next episode, entire seasons—and even entire series—can now be watched in one sitting. This is called binge watching.
A study sponsored by Netflix showed that 61% of their subscribers indulged in regular binges. While another study, conducted on 316 survey respondents aged 18 to 20, showed that 75% of participants admitted to binge watching from six episodes to as much as an entire series in one sitting.
The survey, conducted by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, also showed a shocking link between the binge-watching habit and feelings of loneliness, depression, and a lack of self-control.
With television being an escapist medium, sad or depressed people become hooked on binge watching, whiling away the hours to forget problems or real-life situations, allowing the fictional characters to entertain their worries away. While those who lack self-control, understandably cannot resist planting themselves in front of a screen nor stop themselves from hitting the “play next” video option.
While the study doesn’t exactly point to binge watching causing depression and sadness, researchers do caution against indulging too much in the habit. Those predisposed to sadness or depression may find themselves feeling guilty about the indulgence. Also, whiling the hours away alone will leave one socially detached, resulting in the binger feeling even more lonely.
The social consequences of binge watching can be quite drastic. As reality melts away under the glare of the flickering screen, hours—even days—are spent vegging out, work and other responsibilities become neglected. Physical effects, meanwhile, include obesity and insomnia. So if you have problems saying no, binge watching might not be for you.
Perhaps the trick is to share the habit. Invite family or friends on a group marathon to make the experience more festive. Or invite your significant other for a stay-in date and turn that binge watch into something romantic.
