Binge-watching your favorite TV shows can go from a normal habit to an addiction if it’s driven by loneliness, according to a new study. The research shows that people who watch to the point of addiction are more likely to feel lonely.
The study published in the journal PlOS Oneshowed a crucial link between loneliness and binge-watching addiction, while offering ways to cope with social disconnection.
The study was conducted under the supervision of researchers Xiaofan Yue and Xin Cui from Huangshan University in China, who analyzed survey responses from 551 adults. All these participants watched at least 3.5 hours of TV per day and more than four episodes per week.
The team found that higher levels of loneliness were substantially linked to more severe binge-watching addiction. This crucial link was not found among heavy viewers who did not meet certain criteria for addiction, suggesting that addictive binge-watching may be caused by several psychological factors.
The researchers further explored why people adopt binge-watching habits and found that loneliness was closely linked to two key factors: such as escapism and emotional enhancement.
The analysis found that people who feel lonely often turn to television to avoid negative emotions while looking for fun.
It has been observed that the study has its own limitations as no cause and effect relationship was identified. This means it cannot definitively prove that loneliness leads to addictive binge-watching.
Future research is needed to investigate whether reducing loneliness can prevent or address problematic binge-watching behavior.
