People’s viewing experience has changed dramatically in recent years, with the rise of new viewing behaviours such as binge-watching and binge-racing made possible by the new media era. This study looks at how binge-watching affects several aspects of life (physical and psychological), correlating it to depression and loneliness, to test whether it affects them psychologically in a helpful way or drags them down to worse situations. Between December 2020 and April 2021, 234 participants completed an online survey that included four credible scales: the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the Watching TV Series Motives Questionnaire, the Binge-watching Engagement and Symptoms Questionnaire and the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3). Reaching out that most viewers watch alone and plan before entering the binge cycle, but not all of them could succeed in perceiving the impact of binge-watching left on them after ending their binging. The findings revealed that binge-watching is more prevalent among younger age. Additionally, there was a partial positive association between binge-watching and depression and loneliness. Furthermore, some TV viewing motives were positively associated with depression and loneliness.

This study uses the cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning as the theoretical foundation to explore the potential effects of different data visualisations on news recalling and comprehension. Using a quasi-experimental design, three data visualisations (bar chart, coloured map, and timeline) were examined on three different topics; Corona vaccines, conflict in Syria, and Ever Given ship aground. The results suggest that data visualisations can increase recall and comprehension, but this effect is inconsistent for all data visualisations. Also, recall and comprehension are not always correlated; an easy-to-remember visualisation is not necessarily easy to comprehend.

A survey was conducted on a convenience sample of 360 undergraduate university students in the first semester of the academic year 2019/ 2020. The study tested the model of presumed media influence and depended on the tool of a questionnaire that included scales of celebrity involvement, motivations of following celebrities, receptivity, political knowledge, political interest, political engagement, civic engagement, and perceived political effects on the self and others. The significant variables on perceived political effects of celebrities on the self were receptivity and identification, and on others were affinity and identification. The implications of the findings are discussed.