PRO
In a world of efficiency and convenience, we have access to thousands of television shows and movies on various streaming platforms at the tip of our fingers. New seasons of shows are being released daily, and it is tempting to sit down and watch it all in one sitting.
In the U.S., people are watching upwards of 21 hours of streamed digital media each week, and 99% of all households subscribe to at least one streaming service.
Believe me when I say I love to binge watch a show. As a college student, sometimes the only time I get to relax is when I am in my bed at night watching my favorite series. However, I’ve had to learn to pace myself with watching shows, because of how it was affecting my health.
I would stay up late at night binging, only to be left drained and incapable of taking on my responsibilities for the next day. Research shows that staying up late watching things can make a person frustrated at losing out on sleep. This frustration can interfere with your ability to sleep, leaving you feeling tired and drained the next day.
If you ever wondered though, how could binge watching be bad if it makes me feel so happy? Well, funny enough, this happiness is being caused by a chemical reaction in your brain. When you partake in an activity you enjoy, your brain produces dopamine.
The release of dopamine can result in a sort of high similar to that induced by substances with addictive qualities. As long as you continue to binge watch, your brain will release more and crave more.
It is hard to escape this addiction, but it will be worth it in the long run. You’ll get to watch your favorite shows much longer while also escaping the negative health effects from binging.
CON
While many focus on the negative aspects of binge watching TV and movies on streaming services, the hobby comes with many benefits.
No matter what TV show or streaming service, one benefit of binge watching TV is strengthening platonic and romantic relationships. By watching TV without distractions, it can act as a way to spend quality time with the ones you love.
Oftentimes when binging a TV show with friends or family, the media will result in a larger conversation about the work as a whole as everyone digests it simultaneously. These positive interactions help to create a fun and engaging way to spend time together.
Binge watching TV can also help with stress relief. Binge watching television can give us an escape and release of dopamine, which could be beneficial. Using this technique in moderation or paired with a healthy activity can help reduce your stress before sleeping at night.
It can even be paired with more healthy lifestyles, such as working out. Some people watch TV while doing pilates, walking on the treadmill, strength training and more, which may also potentially lead to better sleep.
With this added benefit, binge watching TV is better overall. Pairing a television show after a long day of hard work can be beneficial to a lot of people. Some people might find it a healthy way to relieve stress at the end of the day, as opposed to alcohol or other vices.
Binge watching TV can be beneficial to relationships and your health by pairing it with a healthy activity, or a reward after working hard. It can also be beneficial to people’s platonic and romantic relationships by strengthening the bond of being present in a shared activity, that leaves room for discussion and conversation after.
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