Netflix Addiction VS. College Students

What exactly does this “binge-watching” term everyone is talking about mean? Well, have you ever been in a situation when it’s 4 in the morning, you have a 9 a.m. class (or a job!) and you’ve wasted your good night sleep opportunity to watch a couple more “House of Cards” episodes? To be precise, “a couple more” meant 7 episodes in total. If so, then yes, you have binge-watched a TV show.The term originated around 1980s when some TV channels began featuring reruns of series in so called marathon sessions.

In the 90s watching a marathon session of “Friends”, “Sex and the City”, etc. became a family tradition. And after some companies like Netflix began releasing TV series in blocks, binge-watching became the norm, not the exception.So today binge-watching means watching 3 or more episodes of a show in one running. According to Statista 42% of 14 – 25 year-olds say they binge-watch at least once a week, and only 30% of 26-31 year olds claim to do so, probably due to the wider circle of life responsibilities and lack of free time. What’s interesting, the percentage grows again for those who are over 68 years old – 37% of them like watching “a couple more episodes”.

Although watching a season of a series in one running appears as an exciting and satisfying activity, it might not be quite healthy for your body or your brain. Spending long amounts of time sitting or lying on a couch increases risks of such issues as diabetes, heart disease and cancer, so taking regular breaks like standing up, stretching and walking around the room is vital.If you are still in college and the choice between studying and Netflix is always easy (Netflix wins!), you’re probably wondering why you get so easily sucked into a TV show and why it’s so hard to stop watching it. The infographic below shows the science to why binge-watching is so satisfying and provides tips on how to break up with the Netflix addiction.

Photo by Yousef Okasheh