A highly practiced trend in watching movies and especially series over the past few years, the so-called binge-watching, is increasingly gaining its pros and cons on social networks and discussions around the world.
Binge-watch refers to a constant watching, episode after episode of all seasons, or even entire series. At first glance, it may seem as addictive as anything else you would do manically, but is it actually that dangerous?
Before continuing the article, note that not all watching defines as binging; just like we have fun with online games or William Hill Promo Code offers, we can watch a few episodes in a sitting and that will be fine – we do it for fun. Let’s get into explaining what binging actually means!
Have You Ever Binged a Series?
It’s just like with gambling — if you have enough money for sports betting or gaming, you will do it. It will not make you addicted or put you in big trouble. But when you start spending the money you don’t have — that’s when the problem arises.
It’s the same story with binge-watching. An adult and responsible person is completely capable of determining the time they want to spend in front of the screen. It might mean a few sleepless nights or a missed party at the dorm, but it’s an individual choice. After finishing your series, stretch out a bit, fix your hair and move on with life. It’s not a big deal.
Still, it happens that we find our friends in a terrible physical state after trying to reach them on the phone for days. The reason — they hooked on Marvel’s Punisher. They binge-watched, but also binge-ate and drank the whole week.
With a completely objective approach, here’s why the new trend is so great, but also when you should start worrying about it.
The Bright Sides of Binge-Watch
It’s a perfect getaway. After a tough week, the stress you bring home from school or work, or a lousy relationship, it is good to have some “me-time.” Watching a good series in one breath is an excellent anti-stress therapy.
Quite the opposite, a binge-watch in a dark room doesn’t necessarily mean that you are an introvert who runs away from others. It can be a perfect activity for family bonding, quality time with the best friend, or even a romantic weekend with your partner. Choose some adorable love story, get a bottle of wine and some chocolate, and you can create the perfect date.
Binge-watching is a pure hedonistic pleasure. In the end, you wouldn’t watch episode after episode if you didn’t find it exciting and worth your time. Everyone occasionally deserves a complete enjoyment.
The Dark Side of Binge-Watch
The particular warning applies to huge fans of the series and people who are prone to manic worship of anything.
Continuous watching of series can lead to behavior that has elements of obsession. When you notice that you are nervous when you have to go outside, or you ignore your friends because you would rather watch the series than be with them, it’s time to cool down.
Episodes always end in a way that you can’t wait to see what happens next. But when we calculate that the average episode lasts at least thirty to forty-five minutes, and multiply that by the number of episodes we watched, it is a lot of time. Those who have never binged in life will say it is a waste of time. We would disagree, but could certainly use it for something more noble and relevant.
Diving too much into fiction can lead to the loss of the real world’s concept. After you watched a few seasons of the zombie apocalypse series, you can feel “infected” by the story and start thinking about it constantly.
With a little care and moderation, it is possible to enjoy your favorite stories and still have your own when you turn off the screen.
