408 people aged 18 and over were recruited through an online crowdsourcing marketplace and completed a survey regarding their viewing habits. The results were examined for potential TV addiction.
35% of people identified themselves as ‘binge-watchers.’ The study defined binge-watching as watching TV "at a stretch over an extended period of time." This percentage reported higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression than non-binge-watchers.
77% of participants reported watching TV for 2 hours or more on average per day without any break during the past week. Excessive TV viewing had a positive correlation with poor mental and physical wellbeing.
So instead of finishing yet another season of House of Cards this weekend, or re-watching Walter White causing chaos in New Mexico, it may be a better for your mental health to leave the house for a change.
Credit: Netflix