What binge-watching TV is doing to your mind

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Problematic binge-watching isn’t defined by the number of episodes watched, or a specific number of hours spent in front of the TV or computer screen. In relation to binge-watching, this would mean: Binge-watching is the most important thing in the person’s life The person engages in binge-watching as a way of reliably changing their mood: to feel better in the short term or to temporarily escape from something negative in their life Binge-watching compromises key aspects of the person’s life like relationships and education or work The number of hours the person spends binge-watching each day has increased significantly over time The person experiences psychological and/or physiological withdrawal symptoms if they’re unable to binge-watch If the person manages to temporarily stop binge-watching, when they engage in the activity again, they go straight back into the cycle they were in previously In my view, any person who fulfils these six components would be genuinely addicted to binge-watching. open image in gallery One study has found that binge-watching can be associated with depression and attachment anxiety Using the same data, the researchers reported in an earlier study that problematic binge-watching had a significant association with anxiety-depressive syndrome. A study of Taiwanese adults, for example, found problematic binge-watching was associated with depression, anxiety around social interaction and loneliness.