Netflix forever changed the way we watch TV shows by releasing all new seasons of TV shows at once, allowing TV fanatics to watch entire seasons of shows in one sitting. As a TV show fan myself, I know how addictive it can get. At the end of an episode, you simply have to watch the next to see what happens. The cycle goes on until the end of the season.
Over the years, researchers found that this habit is not only unhealthy, but also to cause negative effects. That we use TV as way to mask our loneliness and stress. And this latest study done by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, found further evidence to validate previous studies, showing that binge-watching TV is actually a sign of loneliness and depression.
Putting over 300 people between the age 18 to 29 to the test, the researchers found that the people who feel lonely and depressed are more likely to watch more than three TV episodes at a time.
“It all started out with this word binge,” said professor Wei-Na Lee. “The word binge has this negative connotation,” she says, except for when it comes to watching TV. “That got us curious.”
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According to this study, binge-watching TV gives people a way to escape their loneliness and negative feelings. Researchers believes that “it should no longer be viewed as a ‘harmless’ addictive behavior.”
[Via: NewsWeek / Photo: Yannig Van de Wouwer]
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