Considering that the monthly cost of subscribing to a media-streaming service like Netflix is often less than the price of a single admission for an adult at many cinemas, it’s easy to understand why many opt for a quiet night in front of the small screen instead of the silver one. But it seems when consuming media by yourself, it is significantly better for your health to head out to the nearest multiplex than stay in binge watching.
A study by the International Communication Association has concluded that watching hours of Netflix programming, particularly episode after episode of TV shows, can be linked to depression and feelings of loneliness.
“The more lonely and depressed the study participants were, the more likely they were to binge-watch TV,” the study’s authors said.
But when compared to a study from the Journal of Consumer Research reported on by Science of Us, going to a cinema to watch a new release by yourself can often become an enriching and rewarding experience. Individuals often feel a common fear about making the leap to going it alone at the cinema, the study claims, but when people do, they enjoy the experience more.
There are multiple studies that support the idea that spending time alone has a positive impact on personal health, helping to both clear minds and even holding back depression. But these rewards are not felt when consuming streaming services at home, the research suggests. Binging on a boxset or countless episodes of TV can, according to the scientists, be actively harmful to our health.
"Physical fatigue and problems such as obesity and other health problems are related to binge-watching and they are a cause for concern," Yoon Hi Sung, one of the study's conductors, said in a press release.
"When binge-watching becomes rampant, viewers may start to neglect their work and their relationships with others."
The study does examine extreme viewing habits, and stresses that watching a movie or a single episode of a show from the comfort of your living room is not a bad habit or a cause for concern. But given the model of episodes leading into each other directly, or entire seasons of shows being released at the same moment, scientists say when it comes to our mental health, it might be better to walk to the local cinema if you’re looking for some mindless escapism.
In other cinema news, Moncrieff reporter Henry McKean has been examining the cost of a family trip to the cinema, which can cost as much as €70 when including the price of tickets, sweets, popcorn, drinks, and parking.
McKean spoke to a number of cinemagoers, as well as a cinema operator, to ask whether it's worth it. You can listen back to the podcast below:
[H/T: Mic]
