In recent years, bingewatching has become a popular pastime for many people. With the rise of streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, it’s easier than ever to watch entire seasons of your favorite shows in one sitting. While it may seem like harmless fun, there are actually many negative consequences of bingewatching, and it’s important to understand them in order to make informed decisions about your media consumption.
What is bingewatching?
Bingewatching is the act of watching multiple episodes of a TV show or multiple movies in a single sitting, often for several hours at a time. It’s typically done through streaming services like Netflix, which allow users to watch entire seasons of a show without having to wait for new episodes to air on TV. While bingewatching can be a fun way to spend a lazy weekend, it can also have some serious negative consequences.
Why you should stop bingewatching
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Negative impact on physical health: Bingewatching for long periods of time can lead to a number of physical health problems, such as back pain, poor posture, and eye strain. Additionally, bingewatching often involves sitting for extended periods of time, which can contribute to a sedentary lifestyle and increase the risk of obesity, heart disease, and other health problems.
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Poor sleep quality: Bingewatching late into the night can disrupt your sleep schedule and lead to poor sleep quality. The blue light emitted by screens can interfere with the body’s natural production of melatonin, which can make it difficult to fall asleep and lead to insomnia.
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Neglecting other responsibilities: Bingewatching can be so engrossing that people may neglect other responsibilities, such as work, household chores, or social engagements. This can lead to increased stress, missed deadlines, and damaged relationships. It sounds fun to watch another episode, but if you are neglecting your (school)work, health, relationships and household then it is definitely not good.
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You are wasting a lot of precious time. Just like with any addiction, imagine you stop doing it. How much time will you suddenly have extra, just to do the things you really want? Life can be a wonderful thing. Sure, it is fine to watch bingewatch when you are sick. But on other days when you feel good, go outside and live your life! Do fun things with your friends. Create the life of your dreams. It will make you feel alive.
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Risk of addiction: Bingewatching can be addictive, as people may feel they have to keep watching even when they know they should stop. This can lead to a loss of control over media consumption and a variety of negative consequences, such as social withdrawal, financial problems, and neglect of personal responsibilities. They always say ‘one more episode’ but suddenly it is hours later and you’ve watched almost a whole season.
- More fun not to bingewatch: Years ago, without streaming services, we had to wait a day or sometimes even a week for a new episode. Yes, that was long, but I also kind of miss that feeling of waiting a whole week for a new episode. You will have something to look forward to. It makes it more special. These days everything is available to you immediately. But it is more fun when it isn’t. And when you just watch one episode per week, you will enjoy it longer and you don’t have to wait another year for new episodes.
So my recommendation is to watch one or two episodes per day, or some days none. There are so many other things you can do. Live your life instead of sitting in front of the TV every single day.