How to know if you binge-watch too much and what to do about it – TODAY

The term binge-watch was a contender for the Oxford English Dictionarys 2013 word of the year. Although it didnt win (selfie ultimatelytook the crown), this pointed to the rise of what was becoming a popular activity of watching multiple episodes of a TV show in a single sitting.

Today, millions of us including me regularly consume our favourite series in this way.

The proliferation of streaming services over recent years has made it very easy to do. Unsurprisingly, during Covid-19 lockdowns,research showsmany of us spent more time binge-watching than usual.

But can binge-watching become problematic or addictive? And if you cant tear yourself away, what can you do?

Problematic binge-watching isnt defined by the number of episodes watched (although most researchers agree its at least two in a row), or a specific number of hours spent in front of the TV or computer screen.

As with other addictive behaviours, more important is whether binge-watching is having a negative impact on other aspects of the persons life.

Over many years studying addiction, Ive argued that all addictive behaviours comprisesix core components. In relation to binge-watching, this would mean:

In my view, any person who fulfils these six components would be genuinely addicted to binge-watching. A person who only fulfils some of these may be exhibiting problematic binge-watching, but wouldnt be classed as addicted by my criteria.

Like many other behavioural addictions, such as sex addiction, work addiction and exercise addiction, binge-watching addiction is not officially recognised in any psychiatric manuals.

We also dont have accurate estimates of the prevalence of problematic binge-watching. But research into this phenomenon is growing.

A LOOK AT THE EVIDENCE

In thelatest studyon this topic, a research team in Poland surveyed 645 young adults, all of whom reported that they had watched at least two episodes of one 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 mycomponents model of addiction) used a questionnaire they developed in anearlier studyto assess problematic binge-watching among participants.

Questions included: How often do you neglect your duties in favour of watching series? How often do you feel sad or irritated when you cant watch the TV series? and How often do you neglect your sleep to binge-watch series?

Participants had to give answers on a six-point scale from one (never) to six (always). A score above a certain threshold was deemed indicative of problematic binge-watching.

Using a range of other scales, the researchers found that impulse control difficulties, lack of premeditation (difficulties in planning and evaluating the consequences of a given behaviour), watching to escape and forget about problems, and watching to avoid feeling lonely were among the most significant predictors of problematic binge-watching.

Using the same data, the researchers reported in anearlier studythat problematic binge-watching had a significant association with anxiety-depressive syndrome. The greater the symptoms of anxiety and depression, the more problematic a persons binge-watching was.

Other studies have reportedsimilar findings. A study ofTaiwanese adults, for example, found problematic binge-watching was associated with depression, anxiety around social interaction and loneliness.

AnAmerican studyfound the behaviour was associated with depression and attachment anxiety. Most related studies likethis onefrom Portugal have also shown escapism to be a key motivation of problematic binge-watching.

In terms of personality traits,researchhas shown that problematic binge-watching appears to be associated with low conscientiousness (characterised by being impulsive, careless and disorganised) and high neuroticism (characterised by being anxious and prone to negative emotions).

We see these types of associations in addictive behaviours more generally.

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 mid-way through an episode. Its really hard to stop watching at the end of an episode as so often the show ends with a cliff-hanger.

I also suggest setting realistic daily limits. For me, its 2.5 hours if I have work the next day, or up to five hours if I dont. And only start watching as a reward to yourself after youve done everything you need to 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, whereas the latter detracts from it.

If you feel binge-watching is taking over your life, you should seek a referral from your GP to see a clinical psychologist. Most addictions are symptomatic of other underlying problems. THE CONVERSATION

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mark Griffiths is director of the International Gaming Research Unit and professor of Behavioural Addiction at Nottingham Trent University.

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How to know if you binge-watch too much and what to do about it - TODAY