Is Binge-Watching Bad For You?
By Randi Morse
I remember when I first heard the term "binge-watching." I had absolutely no idea what that meant. I grew up in a time when you had to wait a week, or longer, to get the next episode of your favorite show. Sometimes it was excruciating, especially when the show left things on a cliffhanger. Today we can simply download and watch any show we want whenever we want, which provides the perfect opportunity for binge-watching.
Binge-Watching
The term "binge-watching" is the term used to describe watching a number of episodes of a show all in one sitting. Doing this you could potentially make it through an entire season of your favorite show in just a few days. And binge-watching has become extremely popular. One Morning Consult poll showed that 73 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 29 state that they have watched at least two or more episodes of a show during one sitting at least once a week.
Problems With Binge-Watching
Engaging in binge-watching every once in a while isn't hazardous to your health and can be a relaxing way to spend a rainy weekend day, but regularly engaging in binge-watching may cause a lot of issues with your health, including:
Sleep disturbances - Binge-watching television often leads to people falling asleep in front of the television. The production of melatonin is inhibited if you are exposed to blue light right before you fall asleep, making you lose healthy sleep.
Obesity - While binge-watching can't cause obesity, it does promote unhealthy life choices. When you're binge-watching shows you're much more likely to snack on unhealthy foods and much less likely to get exercise.
Depression - Watching a large amount of television at one time is generally a solitary activity. One survey showed that 60 percent of people who binge-watch admit to doing it alone. There have been many studies done showing that too much isolation can be a direct cause to depressive episodes.
Blood clots - If you're sitting watching a show for hours on end, your body is not getting the movement it needs to help blood flow. The longer you are sedentary, the higher the chance of getting a blood clot.
Don't get me wrong, I occasionally binge-watch a show, but it's important for our health to make sure that we don't consume an entire show in one sitting on a regular basis.
To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in New Braunfels, Tex.