On the reasons for addiction to TV series

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 16:23

Thanks to streaming platforms, we have been given access to several hundred series that we can watch in one sitting, and many do watch them binge - in English this phenomenon is called binge watching. There are several reasons why binge-watching TV shows is first pleasurable and then plunges into an abyss of emotional overload - and these mechanisms are very similar to how drugs work.

We figure out what happens to the brain when we start another marathon on Netflix, and how to watch TV shows responsibly.

A Netflix poll found that 61% of users regularly watch 2 to 6 episodes of a show at a time, while another study found that the majority of Netflix users also prefer to watch episodes voraciously rather than stretching the pleasure - on average, people finish watching one season of a show in week.

According to the data, 361,000 people watched all nine episodes of Stranger Things season 2 on its first day.

Of course, no one would do this if they didn't like it: 73% of participants in the same survey from Netflix reported positive emotions associated with drunken watching TV shows. At the same time, however, almost all of these people reported feeling exhausted by the end of the series' marathon, and also overwhelmed by the end of the episodes to watch. In general, watching episode after episode, without stopping or interrupting, is pleasant, but why?

Reason # 1: addiction to pleasure

Dr. René Carr, a clinical psychologist, says this is due to chemicals released in our brains - and hello again to dopamine. This chemical provides the body with a natural internal reward in the form of pleasure, and constant participation in one or another pleasant activity only enhances the effect.

The release of dopamine is a kind of brain signal that conveys information to the body from the category "Watch Friends for the sixth time - good, you have to keep doing it!" … When watching your favorite TV series, the brain constantly produces dopamine, and the body experiences a kind of drug high: a person forms and experiences a pseudo-addiction to the show, because he has a craving for dopamine.

Reason # 2: emotional connection

The sheer amount of time immersed in the characters' lives also fuels the urge to get stuck at the screen. According to Gayani De Silva, MD and psychiatrist, the brain encodes all experiences, whether viewed on television, experienced live, read in a book, or imagined as "real" memories.

As a result, when watching a movie or TV series, the same areas of the brain are activated as when observing a real event - a person is drawn into storylines, becomes attached to characters and really worries about the results of on-screen conflicts.

There are several forms of engagement that foster a stronger bond with the characters, which ultimately affects how much we succumb to the temptation to watch the entire show:

• "Identification"- if we see ourselves in the character of the series and the series presents many roles and opportunities for identifying large groups of people, it will be popular.
• Wishful thinking- when plots and characters offer an opportunity for a flight of fantasy and immersion in the world in which the viewer wants to live (not necessarily real). In this case, identifying with dream, power, prestige, or success makes watching the show enjoyable.

• "Parasocial interaction"- a one-sided relationship where the viewer feels a close connection with an actor or character on a TV show. If you've ever thought that you and your favorite character could be best friends in real life, you've probably experienced this type of involvement.

• "Perceived Similarity"- a format when the viewer enjoys the experience “I know what it is”. What is happening on the screen is confirmed by personal experience and is painfully familiar: for example, you are attracted to shows with a strong female role, because you often take it on yourself, for example at work.

The viewer also experiences the pleasure of participating (and even emotionally controlling oneself) in the story on the screen.

For example, in a 2008 study, Princeton University psychologist Uri Hasson observed the brains of subjects by showing them four different video clips - from Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm series, Sergio Leone's The Good, Bad, Ugly Western, Alfred Hitchcock's short film Hands Up”And a 10-minute unedited video from a Sunday morning concert in a park in New York. Hasson wanted to see if viewers would react in the same way to these four videos: in the end, the concert gave only 5% similar reviews, Larry David - 18%, Leone - 45%, and Hitchcock's film elicited a correlated brain response of 65%.

Based on these results, Hasson concluded that the more “control” over the viewer in the video, the more attentive and responsive the audience is. In other words, if viewers are shown what to focus on - and Hitchcock was a master of this technique - it triggers a similar on-off response in the same brain regions of different people.

This is why people are addicted to watching dozens of episodes of their favorite shows in a row - it's a testament to the quality of the programming and how good the filming studios have become in the matter of audience hobby.

Reason # 3: Reducing stress levels

Binge-watching TV shows offers a temporary escape from the routine that can be a stress management tool. According to John Mayer, Ph. D. and clinical psychologist, "We are all exposed to stress due to the nature of today's world, in which we are constantly attacked by information." It is difficult to turn off the mind and abstract from the stress and pressures of everyday life - and in this sense, watching TV shows episode after episode can become a kind of wall that prevents the brain from thinking about constant stressors.

In addition, binge watching can help you forge social bonds with other people - those who have watched the same series as you. At the end of the day, this experience does provide new topics and a reason to talk to other people. Watching popular TV shows can make you feel like you are part of a community and builds up an important sense of belonging.

Finally, watching a show with a character or story that resonates in some way with your daily routine can also have a positive impact on real life. If your favorite character is a virtual role model, or if the content of the show provides an opportunity to get to know the interesting side of life, this can be helpful. While most of the characters and scenes in the series are exaggerated for dramatic effect, they can still be good practical examples.

What happens when the show ends

Have you ever felt sad after the end of a series? Unsurprisingly, when we finish watching the show, we actually mourn the loss. In psychology, this is called situational depression: it is stimulated by an identifiable, tangible event and is characterized by a real suppression of brain stimulation, as in other forms of depression.

In a study by the University of Toledo, 142 out of 408 participants identified themselves as fans of marathon viewing of the series - and the same group reported higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression than those who did not watch the series avidly. What seems strange in the context of the above - that binge watching can reduce stress - however, by examining the serial habits of these people, it is not difficult to understand why they begin to affect mental health.

In particular, unless you are watching TV shows with a friend, roommate, or partner, the experience can quickly become isolating. Human relationships, unfortunately, are quite easily replaced by television and other technologies. And because people are programmed to form social bonds, when we exclude ourselves from real society and connect too much with the people on TV, we end up experiencing emotional starvation.

So, if you find yourself choosing a Netflix night out over meeting friends and family, it's a strong signal that the habit is going badly.

Finally, streaming media viewing is directly related to poor sleep quality - an effect not seen in traditional serial formats, where new episodes are only released once a week. And we all know that a lack of sleep can affect your overall health and increase your propensity for heart disease, high blood pressure, and obesity.

How to watch TV shows responsibly?

• The key to living comfortably in a world of endless TV shows is setting parameters for your TV time, which can be tricky. In the end, in addition to pleasure, we often go into a serial binge in order to psychologically complete the previous episode - all kinds of artistic techniques work for this in creating a storyline, during which the hero is faced with a difficult dilemma or the consequences of his or someone else's actions, but at this moment the narrative ends, leaving the denouement open. at the end of episodes and seasons.
• If setting a time limit does not work, you can set a limit on the number of episodes - at the very beginning, before you sit in front of the screen. Try to set a certain number of episodes to watch, but only watch the first half of the episode that you designated as the last: usually during this time the episode will answer questions from the previous episode, and you will have enough psychological completeness to feel comfortable turning off the TV.
• Make sure you balance binge watching with other activities: after watching a few episodes, chat with friends, or do something fun. By creating an additional source of pleasure, you are less likely to become addicted to the show.