Remember when you had to wait for a certain time of day to watch your favorite TV show? Do you also remember the relief you experienced when streaming services like Netflix and Hulu came into the picture? With the advent of 24/7 access to endless TV shows without commercials, binge-watching became a part of modern life.
But have you ever considered what binge-watching does to your body? You might want to pause that show you’re watching and find out.
The most obvious effect of binge-watching is on the human eye, whether you’re viewing your show via your cell phone, laptop or wide-screen TV. According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), watching too much TV or starting at your computer screen for too long can cause Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), which is also known as Digital Eye Strain.
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Experts report that CVS symptoms include dry eyes, blurred vision or headaches, which “occur because the visual demands of the task exceed the visual abilities of the individual to comfortably perform them,” reports the AOA.
Binge-watching may be a fairly recent practice, but it existed long before Netflix and Hulu. Do Saturday morning cartoons sound familiar? What about TV movie marathons? While fun, modern technology allows people to binge-watch at younger ages for much longer periods of time, over the course of many years it can lead to poor cognitive function, reports JAMA Psychiatry.
A 25-year study found that early binge-watching habits and a sedentary lifestyle slowly decays cognitive abilities later in life. In fact, after participants in the study were given three IQ tests throughout a five-year interval, researchers found that those who watched the most TV combined with low physical activity were twice as likely to perform poorly on the tests. This can affect job performance, memory and everyday cognitive abilities in the future.
It’s no surprise that TV affects our moods as well. It can make you cry if your favorite character dies, happy if that couple you’ve been shipping for months finally gets together or angry when someone from “The Bachelorette” is in it for the money yet again. Despite the short-term temporary emotional roller coaster, too much TV can have lasting emotional effects.
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In fact, a study for the Journey of Economic Psychology found that “heavy TV viewers, and in particular those with significant opportunity cost of time, report lower life satisfaction. Long TV hours are also linked to higher material aspirations and anxiety.”
The good news? The mind can recover from years of binge-watching habits. According to the JAMA study, “physical activity during young adulthood may preserve cognitive function and contribute to cognitive reserve by increasing neurogenesis as well as synaptic plasticity, particularly in regions associated with executive function and processing speed.”
To put it simply, binge-watching must be accompanied by regular physical activity to keep your mind and body healthy. In addition, All About Vision suggests blinking more when on the computer, actively practicing the 20-20-20 rule (look 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes), taking frequent breaks and purchasing computer eyewear.
Binge-watching has become a way of life in the 21st century, but that doesn’t mean we have to let it affect our futures. As with most things in life, moderation is key; after all, that episode really can wait for tomorrow.
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