Editorial
Volume 2 Issue 1 - 2020
Binge Watching TV series: The attractive and the addictive.
Associate professor, Department of Physiology, Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital, Perambalur, Tamilnadu, India
College and university address: Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital, Perambalur, Tamilnadu, India; The Tamilnadu Dr MGR Medical University, India
College and university address: Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital, Perambalur, Tamilnadu, India; The Tamilnadu Dr MGR Medical University, India
*Corresponding Author: Divya R, Associate professor, Department of Physiology, Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College and Hospital, Perambalur, Tamilnadu, India.
Received: June 02, 2020; Published: June 10, 2020
‘’I need to stop,’’
I whispered to myself, as I clicked ‘next episode’
-A Binge Watcher.
I whispered to myself, as I clicked ‘next episode’
-A Binge Watcher.
Introduction
Television series watching stepped into a new golden age with the appearance of online series. [1] watching multiple episodes of the same TV series end to end is called as binge watching or marathon watching. 2 Immersion,Entertainment, social buzz and peer recommendations are the motivations behind watching TV series. [2]
Marathon viewing
Recent studies reveals that marathon/binge watching has become one of the main psychological concerns within the age group of 17-18 to 28-29. Binge watchers are used to watching whatever, whenever in isolation. Parent-child interaction has reduced and the impact being estrangement among family members. [3].
Recent studies reveals that marathon/binge watching has become one of the main psychological concerns within the age group of 17-18 to 28-29. Binge watchers are used to watching whatever, whenever in isolation. Parent-child interaction has reduced and the impact being estrangement among family members. [3].
Hedonic adaptation
The psychological phenomenon of getting used to new things is called hedonic adaptation. During the initial times, a new TV series might be really exciting to watch. But the more it is watched, the excitement wanes off. The excitement and enjoyment declines over time. Marathon-watching also diminishes the pleasure of anticipation. [3,4].
The psychological phenomenon of getting used to new things is called hedonic adaptation. During the initial times, a new TV series might be really exciting to watch. But the more it is watched, the excitement wanes off. The excitement and enjoyment declines over time. Marathon-watching also diminishes the pleasure of anticipation. [3,4].
Why do you Binge?
While binge watching, the individual’s brain chunks the external negative emotions thereby creating a seepage from routine life due to the chemical imbalances in the brain that shifts the individual in a reverie like state. Viewers try to reconstruct the sensation of happiness during bingeing on media which is similar to the high after binge eating or drug intake. Release of neurotransmitter dopamine gives the high. This further leads to a feeling of insuperability and mental perceptive as in food and substance bingers, that consents for continual bingeing behaviour. Studies revealed that the binge viewers might have a possible one-sided relationship with their favourite characters in the series. This type of unconscious relationships play a significant role in media bingeing behaviours. [4,5]
While binge watching, the individual’s brain chunks the external negative emotions thereby creating a seepage from routine life due to the chemical imbalances in the brain that shifts the individual in a reverie like state. Viewers try to reconstruct the sensation of happiness during bingeing on media which is similar to the high after binge eating or drug intake. Release of neurotransmitter dopamine gives the high. This further leads to a feeling of insuperability and mental perceptive as in food and substance bingers, that consents for continual bingeing behaviour. Studies revealed that the binge viewers might have a possible one-sided relationship with their favourite characters in the series. This type of unconscious relationships play a significant role in media bingeing behaviours. [4,5]
The Dark Side of Binge-Viewing
Inactivity for Longer duration increases the risk for obesity and cardiac complications. Reduced social interaction leading to decline in a viewer’s social skills these degrading skills can carry over negatively into one’s job or family. Mental complications such as partner-like relationships, addiction, and dependence on media stimulation are found to occur in binge watchers. [4]
Inactivity for Longer duration increases the risk for obesity and cardiac complications. Reduced social interaction leading to decline in a viewer’s social skills these degrading skills can carry over negatively into one’s job or family. Mental complications such as partner-like relationships, addiction, and dependence on media stimulation are found to occur in binge watchers. [4]
The threefold plan:
- Get outdoors as much as possible.
- Once in a week follow TV off days.
- Have computers only in the drawing rooms and avoid individual laptops.
- Further research on the viewers and their rate of dependency towards the series needs to be studied.
References
- Tóth-Király I, B?the B, Tóth-Fáber E, Hága G, Orosz G. (2017). Connected to TV series: Quantifying series watching engagement. J Behav Addict. 6 (4):472–489.
- Flayelle M, Maurage P, Billieux J. (2017).Toward a qualitative understanding of binge-watching behaviors: A focus group approach. J Behav Addict. 6(4):457–471.
- Pinto D. (2014, June 1). The big binge: Viewers marathon episodes of television shows is a new obsession.
- Devasagayam R. (2014). Media bingeing: A qualitative study of psychological influences. In Once Retro Now Novel Again: 2014 Annual Spring Conference Proceedings of the Marketing Management Association.
- Billieux J., Van der Linden M., Achab S., Khazaal Y., Paraskevopoulos L., Zullino D., Thorens G. (2013). Why do you play World of Warcraft? An in-depth exploration of self-reported motivations to play online and in-game behaviours in the virtual world of Azeroth. Computers in Human Behavior, 29, 103–109.
Citation: Divya R. (2020). Binge Watching TV series: The attractive and the addictive. Journal of Brain and Neurological Disorders 2(1).
Copyright: © 2020 Divya R. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.