By Maya Belle
During the Covid-19 pandemic, binge-watching is becoming more and more popular. With everyone stuck at home with little to do, and the usage of technology skyrocketing, it is understandable that people are watching a lot of shows.
In fact, Amazon Prime, Disney+ and Netflix are all taking the lead in the number of subscribers, and Hulu with Live TV, AT&T TV Now and CBS All Access are experiencing huge subscriber gains. With streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+ being versatile across many devices like mobile phones, laptops or TVs, people are binging more than ever.
The average American is consuming 8 hours of content per day and has binge-watched 3 shows a week. This trend of limitless binging is reaching children too, with 65% of parents confessing that they have been letting their kids watch more TV and consume more media.
With so many people being on streaming services, we must acknowledge the effects of prolonged technological stimulation. A recent study has shown that binge-watching can have harmful effects to overall effect. It was found that binge-watching is connected to behaviours such as putting off sleep, unhealthy food habits and sluggish behaviour, since people are sitting at home and not going outside or engaging in exercise.
Additional effects include insomnia and poor sleep, as well as poorer quality of sleep and heightened fatigue. Contrary to this, people who had regular television viewing patterns experienced better sleep.
In fact, binge-watching can have even worse effects on one’s general health. Binge-watching can impact your cardiovascular system, vision and your socialization abilities. In fact, staying sedentary for long periods of time can increase the risk of metabolic syndrome, subsequently increasing your risk for heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
To conclude, although television can be an escape during a time of solitude and isolation, perhaps you should put down the iPad and pick up a book, or go outside within the limits of your home.
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