Lying on your couch and binge-watching episodes of a new series without looking up can seem like the ultimate guilty pleasure. Spending hours in front of a screen is not often cited by doctors as a healthy and fulfilling activity. However, a new American study published in the journal Acta Psychologica and relayed by the Fast Company website has just reversed the perspective: the binge-watching could, in fact, be beneficial for the brain and contribute to better stress management.
In the United States, viewers spend an average of 21 hours per week streaming content. Platforms like Netflix, Hulu or HBO have largely encouraged this habit by offering entire seasons at once, concluding each episode with cliffhangers cleverly placed and quickly linking the episodes one after the other. Result: difficult to resist the call of the marathon and turn off your screen.
But contrary to the popular belief that these long hours of screen time “burn out” neurons, researchers at the University of Georgia put forward a different hypothesis. Their study reveals that reading or watching fiction over long periods of uninterrupted time promotes a form of psychological recovery from the tensions of daily life.
This phenomenon is based on what scientists call “retrospective imaginative engagement”: Once the series is over, viewers continue to revisit the story in their minds, through daydreaming or imagination. The effect also exists among readers who swallow a novel in one sitting, even if it is slightly less marked than for series viewers.
“People who are used to binge watcher do not do it passively, but actively reflect on what they have just seen”explains Joshua Baldwin, lead author of the study and postdoctoral researcher at the University of Georgia. They seek to stay engaged with the stories, even when they are no longer in front of the screen.
Living in history
According to him, it is precisely by revisiting these plots and these characters that spectators find a resource in the face of daily stress and an additional source of well-being. Joshua Baldwin reminds us that human beings are “wired for stories”. These fulfill essential functions, such as the need to feel connected to others, to experience autonomy or to find comfort and security. “Fictional characters embody these roles, and we can satisfy these needs through them”he continues.
No wonder then that a survey (commissioned by Netflix) showed that 73% of its users said they experienced positive feelings after a marathon session in front of the TV. Enough to legitimize these entire evenings spent watching a season in one go, even if it means sacrificing a few hours of sleep. The study goes even further: devouring a book or series in one go could generate more pleasure and fulfillment than diluting this experience day after day.
However, everything is not idyllic. Previous research has already associated the binge-watching to a degraded quality of sleep or even to the famous “post-series blues”, this feeling of emptiness which strikes when a fictional universe suddenly ends. Joshua Baldwin insists: “The debate on the media is never completely settled. It all depends on the content, the motivations of the viewer, their psychological state and the context in which they consume.”
The next time Netflix asks you if you’re still here after five hours of watching, you can click “yes” without feeling (too much) guilty… or turn everything off and go to sleep or get some fresh air, that won’t hurt you either.
