Is it Ever Healthy to Binge Watch Shows on Netflix?

We all know what it means to Netflix and chill (aka binge watch shows and chill.) Seventy percent of people in the U.S. across all age groups report having binged watched a TV show, according to Statista. Is there an effect from all this binge watching?

Scientists seem to think so. Last year Yoon Hi Sung, a doctoral student at the University of Texas at Austin, led a study to see just what binge watching is doing to people. The answer? There’s a strong correlation between binge watching and depression, according to NPR.  Out of 316 participants who took Sung’s survey, 237 were binge watchers.

Binge watchers were more likely to more like to admit to behaviors associated with lack of self-control, loneliness and depression. Participants who were binge watchers exhibited similar traits to diagnosable conditions like binge-drinking or binge-eating.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that binge watching is making people more depressed. The results come from one relatively small study and there are too many factors to determine whether or not binge watching is the cause of depression.

There are a few differences within the cultural phenomenon and effects between bingers and weekly viewers. The Washington Post adds that the cultural significance of scheduling around TV has decreased now that viewers can watch whenever is convenient for them.

Data from NBC Universal suggests that week to week programming lasts longer in the cultural consciousness. Critic David Bianculli agrees, arguing last year on NPR’s Fresh Air that week to week viewing was inherently more social because it’s something people all experience together at the same time. At the same time, Raj Devasagayam, a lead author in a 2014 study about binge watching, concluded that people who binge watch shows are more capable of reacting to different story lines at a quicker pace and seem to have a larger attention span.

Still the increase of binge watching seems to have more negative effects than positive. Time Magazine points out that it could increase risk of diabetes. It can also put you at risk of death from blood clot in the lungs due to inactivity.

While it’s fun to spend an entire Saturday locked in your room watching the adventures of Lorelei and Rory, it’s also important to limit your binge activity so that you get the physical and social activity you need to stay healthy.