The Pros And Cons Of Binge Watching Series

Binge-watching series is a relatively new phenomenon in the South African context. While taking this into consideration, should we not be asking ourselves if it’s not better to watch episodes over a period of time rather than all at once, and is this type of activity good for your overall health and wellbeing? I would like to highlight the fact that binge-watching series is not necessarily bad for your overall health and wellbeing but everything is good in moderation.

Although, nationwide television broadcasting was only introduced to South Africa in the beginning of 1976 and it was not without its controversies! This new form of media was a seen as a threat to the Afrikaner population with many government officials stating that it would
When you remain seated or inactive for long periods of time, also known as being sedentary, you increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, premature mortality, heart disease as well as obesity (everyday health - harvard ref). In a study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association June 15, 2011. It was concluded that you could reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, premature mortality by simply cutting back on the number of hours you spend watching television. The results were that for “more than two hours of TV viewing per day increased the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and more than three hours of daily viewing increased the risk of premature death” (Hu,
Where the person can relate to the characters within the series, this creates a feeling of belonging to the viewer and serves as an escape or distraction from the person's real life situation. A buffer is then formed against loneliness and television becomes their companion.

Binge-watching series can contribute towards depression and sedentary behaviour but it is not the sole factor. There are some positives that come out of binge-watching one of your favourite series; you don’t have that anxious wait for an entire week to see what the outcome is of the cliffhanger you were left with, in the previous episode, you get immediate satisfaction, you can view your favourite shows anytime and it gives you the opportunity to bond with your peers and friends as you discuss the series with all of its intrigues, plots and