Do you watch too many series? How to know if it is addiction and what you can do about it

In 2013 the term binge-watching (binge on series) was a candidate for word of the year from the Oxford English Dictionary.

Although he did not win (selfie took the crown), revealed an increasingly popular trend: that of watch multiple episodes of a show in one sitting.

Today millions of us, myself included, regularly consume our favorite series in that way.

The proliferation of services streaming in recent years he has made it very easy.

Research shows that, unsurprisingly, with COVID-19 lockdowns the time we spend bingeing on series is increasing.

But can these become problematic or addictive? And if you can’t get away from the screen, what can you do?

Impact on other aspects of life

It is not the number of episodes watched that defines a problem binge — although most researchers agree that it is at least two in a row — or the hours spent in front of the television or computer.

As with other addictive behaviors, the most important thing is if binge eating has a negative impact in other aspects of the person’s life.

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During all these years that I have studied addiction, I have identified six common building blocks in addictive behaviors.

Applied to series binges are:

In my opinion, anyone who meets these six components I would be really addicted to bingeing.

A person who only complies with some of these may be having problematic binges, but in my opinion I would not classify them as addicted.

Like many other behavioral addictions, such as addiction to sex, work or exercise, addiction to binging series is not officially recognized in any psychiatric manual.

We also do not have precise estimates of its prevalence, but there is more and more research on this.

A look at the evidence

In the latest study on this topic, a research team in Poland conducted a survey among 645 young adults, all of whom acknowledged watching at least two episodes of a show in a single session.

The experts wanted to understand some of the factors underlying problem binges.

The authors (who based their definition of problem bingeing in part on my addiction component model) used a questionnaire they developed in a previous study to assess problem bingeing among participants.

The questions included: “How often do you neglect your duties to watch series?”, “How often do you feel sad or irritated when you cannot watch the television series?” and “How often do you neglect your dream to binge on series?”

Participants had to respond on a six-point scale, from one (never) to six (always).

A score above a certain threshold was considered indicative of problem binges.

Using a variety of other scales, the researchers found that impulse control difficulties, lack of premeditation (difficulties planning and evaluating the consequences of a particular behavior), watch series to escape and forget about problems And doing it to avoid feeling lonely were among the most important factors in problem bingeing.

Using the same data, researchers reported in a previous study that problem binges had a significant association with depression and anxiety syndrome.

The greater the symptoms of anxiety and depression, the more problematic the binge was.

Other studies have made similar findings.

A study carried out among Taiwanese adults, for example, found that problem binges were associated with depression, anxiety around social interaction and loneliness.

An American inquiry found that the behavior was associated with depression and attachment anxiety.

Most of the related studios, like one from Portugal, also have shown that escapism is a key motivation for problem binges.

In terms of personality traits, research has shown that problem binges appear to be associated with low awareness (characterized by being impulsive, careless and disorganized) and high neuroticism or emotional instability (characterized by being anxious and prone to emotions negative).

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

Break the habit

If you want to reduce the number of episodes you watch during a session, my rule of thumb is to stop after an episode.

It’s really difficult, as the chapters often end with a suspenseful scene.

I also suggest set realistic daily limits. For me, it’s two and a half hours if I have work the next day, or up to five hours if I don’t.

And start watching a series as one reward after having done everything necessary in terms of work and social obligations.

Remember, the difference between healthy enthusiasm and addiction is that the former adds value to your life, while the latter takes it away.

If you feel like TV binges are taking over your life, you should consult a clinical psychologist. Most addictions are symptomatic of other underlying problems.

* Mark Griffiths is Director of the International Gaming Research Unit and Professor of Behavioral Addiction at Nottingham Trent University. This article originally appeared on The Conversation. You can read the English version here.

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