Those post-binge-watching blues? They might be real
With the release of the fourth season of “House of Cards,” all 13 episodes are available for Netflix subscribers. Some fans might space each episode out over the course of the ensuing weeks. But many will binge-watch – completing the series in a thrilling, draining marathon of being glued to their laptops or TV screens.
And when it’s all over?
Many report feeling sad or anxious once a TV binge-watching session has concluded. In an essay for The New York Times, writer Matthew Schneier reported feeling “anxious, wistful, bereft” as his binge of Aziz Ansari’s popular comedy series “Master of None” neared its end. A couple of years ago, one binge-watcher interviewed by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune said she felt “depression” and “emptiness” after finishing her favorite shows. On Twitter, others have expressed similar sentiments.
Are these merely the experiences of a few people who have watched too much TV (and could probably use some fresh air)? Or could binge-watching actually affect your health and well-being?
A binge-watching bonanza
According to a survey conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, watching television is one of the most common leisure time activities in the U.S. On average, Americans spend about 2 hours and 49 minutes per day watching television, and it accounts for more than 50 percent of their daily leisure activities.
Yet the way Americans consume television is rapidly changing, and binge-watching has become a relatively recent phenomenon. The rising popularity of on-demand streaming services like Netflix and Hulu have made it easier than ever to have uninterrupted access to full TV series, and Collins Dictionary even declared “binge-watch” the word of the year for 2015. Marketing and social media campaigns have also encouraged binge-watching, with the popular streaming service Netflix calling it the “new normal.”
To date, most of the surveys and research surrounding binge-watching have been conducted by private research firms and companies. A 2013 survey by Netflix showed that 73 percent of the respondents viewed binge-watching as a socially acceptable behavior. A similar survey by TiVo in 2015 showed that negative perceptions about binge-watching have decreased between 2013 and 2015. About 92 percent of the respondents to the TiVo survey reported that they had binge-watched at some point.
Are binge-watching and mental illness related?
Excessive TV watching has long been associated with health problems. Scientific studies have shown that prolonged television viewing increases the risk of obesity and related diseases such as diabetes.
It’s also been linked to mental health problems like depression. And a recent Texas A&M study revealed that binge-watching is tied to feelings of loneliness and depression. They also found that those who binge-watch lacked the self-regulation to stop, suggesting that binge-watching may be an addictive behavior.
For our study, we surveyed 406 North American adults, recruited from an online data collection platform. We wanted to know more about binge-watchers – particularly their viewing habits, mental health status, and how prevalent and socially acceptable binge-watching was among their friends.
The majority of our respondents defined binge-watching as two to five hours of consecutive video viewing in one day. About 35 percent of the respondents admitted that they binge-watch TV. Not surprisingly, those who self-identified as binge-watchers were more likely to report higher average screen time in the past seven days compared to those who did not identify as binge-watchers. Self-identified binge-watchers were also more likely to report higher addiction to TV (as measured by a validated scale).
The major highlight of our study, however, is that self-identified binge-watchers were more likely to report higher stress, anxiety and depression.We were ultimately able to demonstrate a relationship between binge-watching, average screen time and mental health status.
However, these results should be interpreted with caution. Our research shows only a correlation and not causation. We don’t know if depression, stress and anxiety are caused by binge-watching, or if it is the other way around. In other words, people might binge-watch as a way to temporarily alleviate preexisting feelings of stress and anxiety.
Questions for Discussion:
Session One:
1. Do you consider yourself a binge-watcher? How many hours on average do you view in one sitting and how many times a week? What genre do you most likely binge-view and why do you prefer it to anything else?
2. Why do people do more marathon video watching nowadays than ever? How do stream TV, cable TV, or online video websites lure audience into longer viewing?
3. One blogger claimed to have productive ways to binge-watch . That is, to “work on relatively mindless tasks – tasks that require a lot of time, but not much attention to complete" while you binge-watch. On the other hand, he also admitted that the more he focused on a show, the more he enjoyed it, and the higher he rated the show. He said in a nutshell that “experiences become richer when you give them more attention.” How do you interpret the two seemingly conflicting concepts: multi-tasking vs. completely immersing yourself in the shows?
Session Two:
4. According to statistics released by Netflix, it generally takes viewers three episodes to get hooked on “House of Cards.” How long does a TV series usually take you to become addicted to and watch it until the end? If a series starts well but peter out towards the end, would you still finish it?
5. How do you usually feel after binge-watching and finishing your favorite shows? There has been studies saying that prolonged TV viewing is linked to loneliness and depression. Do you think it is binge-watching that leads to depression or the other way around? Or an uncovered cause that results in both blue moods and binge-watching?
6. Is the growth of binge-watching at home a canary in a coal mine for movie industries because movie-lovers cannot “binge-watch” a movie? How could movie theaters and filmmakers strike back against the trend?
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Agenda:
3:45 ~ 4:00pm Greetings & Free Talk / Ordering Beverage or Meal / Getting Newcomer’s Information
4:00 ~ 4:10pm Opening Remarks / Newcomer’s Self-introduction / Grouping
(Session I)
4:10 ~ 4:50pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
4:50 ~ 5:10pm Summarization (20 mins)
5:10 ~ 5:15pm Regrouping / Instruction Giving / Taking a 10 Minutes Break (Intermission)
(Session II)
5:15 ~ 5:55pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
6:00 ~ 6:20pm Summarization (20 mins)
6:20 ~ 6:30pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements
********************************************************************************************************************************************
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聚會時間:請準時 4:00 pm 到 ~ 約 6:30 pm 左右結束
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10/21(Sat) Binge-watching is here to stay(Host:Kooper)
Re: 10/21(Sat) Binge-watching is here to stay(Host:Kooper)
I think they may die....
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
Re: 10/21(Sat) Binge-watching is here to stay(Host:Kooper)
In the article, a sentence from the second paragraph from the bottom says,
We were ultimately able to demonstrate a relationship between bing-watching, average screen time and mental health status.
Relation 和 Relationship
http://www.kwuntung.net/tthp/topics/voc ... onship.htm
We were ultimately able to demonstrate a relationship between bing-watching, average screen time and mental health status.
Relation 和 Relationship
http://www.kwuntung.net/tthp/topics/voc ... onship.htm
Re: 10/21(Sat) Binge-watching is here to stay(Host:Kooper)
That's a genuine marathon viewing! Let's see whether the runners also feel blue after passing the finish line.Rock 寫:I think they may die....
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
Re: 10/21(Sat) Binge-watching is here to stay(Host:Kooper)
Maybe not so blue, but kind of pale?
In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.
Re: 10/21(Sat) Binge-watching is here to stay(Host:Kooper)
Attendees(15): Catherine, Alicia, Jason Yuan(?), Jason Huang, Way, Momo, Vincent, Light, David Jr., Rock, Gloria, Robert, Vicky, Leon, Luis