The word binge-watch was a contender for the Oxford English Dictionary’s 2013 word of the year. While it didn’t win (the selfie eventually took the crown), it pointed to the rise that watching multiple episodes of a TV show in one sitting was becoming a popular activity. Today, millions of us including me regularly consume our favorite series like this. The proliferation of streaming services in recent years has made this much easier to do. Unsurprisingly, during the COVID lockdown, research shows that many of us spent more time binge-watching than usual.
But can binge-watching become problematic or addictive? And if you can’t give yourself away, what can you do? Problematic binge-watching is not defined by the number of episodes watched (though most researchers agree that it is at least two in a row), or a specific number of hours spent in front of a TV or computer screen. As with other addictive behaviors, more important is whether the binge-watching is negatively impacting other aspects of the person’s life.
In studying addiction for many years, I have argued that all addictive behaviors have six main components. In relation to binge watching, this would mean:
- Binge watching is the most important thing in a person’s life (humility)
- The person engages in bingeing as a way to reliably change their mood: to feel better in the short term or to temporarily avoid something negative in their life (mood modification).
- Binge-watching compromises key aspects of a person’s life, such as relationships and education or work (struggle).
- The number of hours the person spends binge-watching per day has increased significantly over time (tolerance)
- the person experiences psychological and/or physical withdrawal symptoms if they are unable to binge (withdraw)
- If the person temporarily stops binge-watching when they engage in the activity again, they go straight back to the cycle they were in before (relapse)
In my view, anyone who meets these six components will be really addicted to binge watching. A person who meets only a few of these may exhibit problematic binge-watching, but he or she would not be classified as addicted by my criteria. Like many other behavioral addictions, such as sex addiction, work addiction, and exercise addiction, binge-watching addiction is not officially recognized in any psychiatric manual. We also do not have an accurate estimate of the prevalence of problematic binge-watching. But research into this phenomenon is increasing.
a look at the evidence
In the latest study on the topic, a research team in Poland surveyed 645 young adults, all of whom reported that they had watched at least two episodes of a show in a single sitting. The researchers wanted to understand some of the factors underlying problematic binge-watching. The authors (who based their definition of problematic binge-watching partly on the MY components model of addiction) used a questionnaire developed in an earlier study to assess problematic binge-watching among participants.
Questions include: How often do you neglect your duties in favor of watching a series? How often do you feel sad or irritated when you can’t watch a TV series? And how often do you neglect your sleep to binge-chain?
Participants had to answer on a six-point scale ranging from one (never) to six (always). Scores above a certain threshold were considered indicative of problematic binge-watching. Using a range of other scales, the researchers found impulse control difficulties, lack of forethought (difficulties in planning and evaluating the consequences of a given behavior), problems looking to avoid and forget about, and Most were to watch to avoid feeling lonely. Important predictors of problematic binge-watching.
Using the same data, researchers reported in an earlier study that problematic binge-watching had a significant association with anxiety-depressive syndrome. The greater the symptoms of anxiety and depression, the more likely a person is to have problems with binge watching. Other studies have reported similar findings. For example, a study of Taiwanese adults found that problematic binge watching was associated with depression, social interaction, and anxiety around loneliness.
A US study found that the behavior was associated with depression and attachment anxiety. Most such related studies from Portugal have also shown escapism to be a major motivation for problematic binge viewing. In terms of personality traits, research has shown that problematic binge watching appears to be associated with low conscientiousness (characterized by being impulsive, reckless, and disorganized) and high neuroticism (characterized by being prone to anxiety and negative emotions). We see this type of engagement more commonly in addictive behavior.
breaking the habit
If you want to cut down on the number of episodes you watch in one sitting, my golden rule is to stop watching in the middle of an episode. It’s really hard to stop watching at the end of an episode because often the show ends with a cliff-hanger. I also suggest setting realistic daily limits. For me, it’s 2.5 hours if I have work the next day, or up to five hours if I don’t. And start seeing yourself as a reward only after doing everything you need in terms of work and social obligations.
Remember, the difference between a healthy enthusiasm and an addiction is that the former adds to your life, while the latter detracts from it. If you feel that binge-watching is taking over your life, you should get a referral from your doctor to see a clinical psychologist. Most addictions are symptoms of other underlying problems.
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