Negative Effects of Binge Watching on Health (Essay Example)

The glow of the screen pulls you towards it, the character on your computer screen’s lips are moving. You know they are saying words; you can read them off the subtitles, however, you cannot discern what they are saying. Everything flies over your head as you mindlessly click the button that reads “Next Episode” and you hear the theme song for the seventeenth time that morning. Binge-watching is when one watches many episodes of  a television series in a consecutive manner. The question raised: Is this detrimental to one’s health? For years, researchers have studied and explored the health drawbacks that can occur from prolonged use of electronic devices. Although there is much controversy on the topic, one thing is agreed upon by many; long exposure to an electronic device’s screen can be harmful to the consumer. Binge-watching is potentially harmful to those participating in it; it causes cognitive decline, is bad for a person’s mental health, and is addictive. 

Cognitive decline is shown to be a direct consequence of binge-watching. Source 4 discusses the impact that binge-watching may have on a person’s brain. “New research from the United Kingdom shows that regularly watching over three hours of TV each day could lead to cognitive decline in language and memory down the line” (Source 4). The study was done by taking 3,662 adult participants of the ages 50 and older. The participants’ reasoning and thinking skills were measured and they recorded their TV consumption that they partake in on a regular, daily basis (Source 4). Researchers discovered that verbal memory declined for people who watched three and a half hours of television daily. Long exposure to the screen is essentially what binge-watching’s issue is; this long exposure causes multiple problems. Binge-watching subjects a person to an electronic screen for many hours at a time. This can be detrimental to one’s brain and health. In the same source, Daisy Fancourt, a senior researcher at University College in London, “‘ Our analyses showed that whie adults who watch less than 3.5 hours of television per day experience on average a decrease in verbal memory of around 4 to 5 percent over the following six years, those who watch television for more than 3.5 hours per day experience on average an 8 to 10 percent decrease in verbal memory over the same period.’” An 8 to 10 percent decrease is an incredibly high percentage when taking into account the premises. This could lead to a person not performing as well in their jobs or in school due to their inability to remember important information. As well as cognitive decline, studies show that a person’s mental health can be negatively affected due to binge-watching.

 Binge-watching can negatively affect one’s mental health. Source 5 provides evidence of a study performed in 2014, “[the study] found that TV watching didn’t help everybody. Individuals who bought into the “lazy couch potato” stereotype enjoyed fewer benefits from watching TV. Instead of feeling revitalized after watching TV, they felt guilty.”  This proves that a decline in mental health is directly related to binge-watching. An infographic in Source 3 graphs the reasons why 699 adults in the U.S. binge-watch television shows. The majority of people, 59%, claim that “[they] like to see the whole story at once.” The next percentage is 48% of people “don’t like the suspense of waiting a week to find out what happens”. The next, and most concerning statistic is that 31% of people binge-watch TV shows because it provides something to do and fills their time. This statistic is concerning because it shows how many Americans spend their time and it is not wisely. When there is such an amount of boredom at a given time, turning toward television is not a beneficial decision. The reasoning that may be taken to contradict this claim is little to none.

Critics may argue that binge-watching is beneficial because of the pleasurable feeling of being immersed in a show’s storyline; however, this is incorrect because this feeling can lead to addiction to the feeling.  Binge-watching is addictive which can lead a person to negative thoughts and feelings. Source 1 paints a scenario in which the narrator is addicted to a television show. “I felt anxious, wistful, deprived in advance; I’d eaten up nine episodes in only a few days, liking them more than I’d expected to” (Source 1). The narrator feels emotions widely connected to addiction. Being “deprived in advance” or “wistful” are commonly how addicts to illegal substances describe their experiences and impulses. This same source goes on to discuss true commentary on the subject. “‘It leaves you with a feeling of emptiness,’ said Danielle Butler, 30, one of the many who took to social media to vent. ‘You feel kind of ridiculous, but it’s a sense of abandonment’” (Source 1). This woman of 30 years confesses to the same feeling of addiction. Such evidence makes it all the more clear that anyone can be affected by binge-watching in a negative manner. Infographic B, located in Source 3, states, “Netflix has made TV shows and films more accessible through online streaming, but it has also increased the risk of Internet addiction among its users.” Information in the infographic underneath the subtitle “Binging the Netflix Drug” claims that, “At the end of 2016 Netflix had over 93 Million subscribers.” Furthermore, “These subscribers watch 1 billion hours of content per week,” and, “70% or users binge watch shows, averaging 5+ episodes at a time” (Source 3). If the math is done, the average hours of content per week each subscriber watches is 10.8. When put into perspective, this is a large amount of time contributed to doing nothing. Why is it done then? Source 5 explains a concept called “flow experience.” “Flow is an intrinsically pleasurable feeling of being completely immersed in a show;s storyline. In a flow state of mind, viewers intently focus on following the story and it’s easier for them to lose awareness of other things, including time, while they’re wrapped up in viewing.” The author of this source portrays this as a good thing, however, they contradict themself when they state that, “One study found that viewers will continue viewing additional episodes in order to maintain this positive flow state, so there is an addictive quality to binge viewing.” Any addiction, no matter how good it feels, is detrimental to one’s health. 

Those who participate in binge-watching activities are subjected to problems such as cognitive decline, a decline in mental health, and addiction. A decrease in verbal memory can be observed from those that participate in daily television watching activities. A decline in mental health can be observed as well. Although it is said that binge-watching can give one a positive feeling, it can lead to addiction which can affect a person’s mentality and health. In controlled, small doses, watching television is not harmful, however, when it is in large doses and when it becomes an addiction, action must be taken. Instead of sitting in bed, or on a couch, go outside, read a book, do anything that involves the presence of other people that does not require a screen. Do not continue to harm yourself by watching continuous episodes of a mind-numbing show.