“One more episode.”
Wrong.
It is never just one more episode. Why is it that I can’t seem to watch a show on Netflix without realizing four hours later that it has, in fact, been four hours since I started watching?
Many people, including myself, can’t help but indulge in binge-watching shows on Netflix. Whether you’re a college student trying to avoid doing homework or an older person who just can’t seem to grasp the concept of a DVR, Netflix is the simple solution. However, Netflix may not be as great for you as you think. In fact, people who watch more television than is recommended are put at a greatest risk of gaining weight, as well as developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Not only can Netflix have a negative impact on your physical health, it can also affect your mental health. According to The Huffington Post, people who feel lonely and/or depressed are more likely to be susceptible to binge-watching.
And for a double whammy, sitting in one spot for hours on end can affect you both physically and mentally simultaneously. While your circulation and metabolism are slowing down, your brain is also being strained from everything that is has to process while watching so much TV at one time.
A study done on students at the University of Texas-Austin found that students who binge-watch are more likely to have self-control issues, leading them to neglect responsibilities and even relationships.
So while it may seem like an amazing idea to binge-watch the entire fourth season of Friends, it’s probably not. Do your homework, hang out with your friends, even catch up on your sleep! Just please don’t stare at a screen for hours. You can thank me later.
This was a very interesting article because I never would have guessed that there are so many binge watchers. It was astonishing to me that 61% of all the people surveyed were binge watchers. This is quite scary and could possibly lead to health problems later in life.
This article is a scary truth. I’m sure many people, including myself, can attest to this personally. Maybe it would be best to just delete my account to avoid the ability to binge watch shows period. It would also be interesting to see if video games have similar affects on the human mind and body. Maybe this could explain the laziness and complacency of these younger generations.
I just learned so much more after reading about this. I never knew that binge watching netflix could cause so many health factors to your body. When I first got an account last year, I binge watched on so many shows that I didn’t watch when I was yonger, like Secret Life Of The American Teenager and Once upon a time, and started to do poorly in my classes. I don’t binge watch often anymore, but now I’m not going to watch till the thanksgiving break, christmas, ect. This gave me a new perspective of life.
I found this article to be quite scary considering that in one survey 61% of participants identified as binge watchers. This could later lead to more obesity in America and other cardiovascular problems.