Whether you’re trapped inside due to a snow storm or relishing in free time at the weekend, time spent binge-watching a new series or catching up on this week’s latest episodes could be a tell-tale sign of health concerns.
People who binge watch television regularly are more likely to struggle with loneliness and depression and can use the activity to avoid or escape from their feelings, according to a study from the University of Texas in Austin.
The study involved 316 participants, aged 18 to 29 years old who were asked questions relating to how how much TV they watched as well as how often they felt depressed or lonely and how often they binge watched shows.
Not only did they ascertain that those more likely to binge watch a television show were also more likely to be lonely or depressed, but they also found that binge-watching is related to obesity, fatigue and other health concerns.
Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Also called major depression, major depressive disorder or clinical depression, it affects how you feel, think and behave and can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems. People with depression may have trouble doing normal day-to-day activities. Most people with depression feel better with medication, psychological counseling or both. Other treatments also may help.
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