Is heavy binge-watching a socially driven behaviour? Exploring differences between heavy, regular and non-binge-watchers

Abstract

Results of an online survey suggest that heavy binge-watching of serialized video content might be in part socially motivated. Among a sample of US college students, heavy binge-watchers were more likely to be opinion leaders and to experience fear of missing out (FOMO) than regular binge-watchers or nonbinge-watchers. They also reported higher levels of parasocial engagement with the shows’ characters than other viewers. Contrary to common beliefs, heavy binge-watching did not come at the cost of decreased social engagement. Quite the opposite: heavy binge-watchers reported spending significantly more time in interactions with friends and family on a daily basis than non-binge-watchers. Heavy binge-watching was also modestly associated with a few negative outcomes (loss of sleep and decrease in productivity).

Anxiety-Depressive Syndrome and Binge-Watching Among Young Adults

“…The use of substances or excessive forms of behavior to regulate affective states is characteristic of all addictions (Nikmanesh et al, 2014;Mascia et al, 2020). Research has shown that in the case of behavioral addictions, the most common symptoms of abstinence are emotional tension, mood changes, the need for stimulation and craving, and Fear of missing out (FOMO) (Billieux et al, 2015;Anghelcev et al, 2020;Fernandez et al, 2020). Emotional reactions are also associated with distress when binge-watching is blocked.…”

“…Additionally, research has shown that the anxiety-depressive syndrome is associated with a greater frequency of loss of control over binge-watching behaviors and neglect of duties. At this point, it is worth mentioning that problems with selfcontrol and neglect of duties are characteristic of a low level of conscientiousness, which in turn is characteristic of individuals exhibiting excessive binge-watching behavior (Govaert, 2014;Chambliss et al, 2017;Tóth-Király et al, 2017;Anghelcev et al, 2020). An individual escapes from negative emotional states by watching TV series.…”

“…The anxiety-depressive syndrome is a strong predictor of problematic binge-watching symptoms, such as negative health consequences, preoccupation, and negative social consequences. So far, not many studies have been carried out on the impact of binge-watching on the health of individuals, but few studies in the literature have shown that binge-watching is associated with worse sleep quality and unhealthy, and irregular diet (Exelmans and Van den Bulck, 2017;Vaterlaus et al, 2019;Anghelcev et al, 2020;Dixit et al, 2020). On the other hand, research indicates that individuals prefer to binge-watch alone so the quantity of time they spend watching TV series may affect their interpersonal relationships by further reducing the number of contacts with other people (Wheeler, 2015;Sun and Chang, 2021).…”

“…Maybe problematic binge-watchers focus on cognitive and not on social aspects of this behavior. Interestingly, people who binge-watch more, the so-called "heavy binge-watchers, " experience FOMO more frequently (Anghelcev et al, 2020). Another explanation for the role of informative motivation is the use of the immersive function of binge-watching as a behavior that strongly engages the cognitive and emotional processes of an individual, which may be associated with a sense of being lost in a fictional world (Conlin, 2015;Petersen, 2016;Walter, 2018, Erickson et al, 2019.…”

“…Such factors may hinder the healthy and harmonious engagement in binge-watching. Moreover, it is important to mention that problematic binge-watching can also harmfully affect other healthrelated behaviors, such as healthy diet, sleep, and physical activity (Exelmans and Van den Bulck, 2017;Vaterlaus et al, 2019;Anghelcev et al, 2020;Dixit et al, 2020). Consequently, engaging in problematic binge-watching may inhibit the healthy lifestyle changes.…”