To access extended pro and con arguments, sources, and discussion questions about whether binge-watching is good for you, go to ProCon.org.
The first usage of the term “binge-watch” dates back to 2003, but the concept of watching multiple episodes of a show in one sitting gained popularity around 2012. Netflix’s 2013 decision to release all 13-episodes in the first season of House of Cards at one time, instead of posting an episode per week, marked a new era of binge-watching streaming content. In 2015, “binge-watch” was declared the word of the year by Collins English Dictionary, which said use of the term had increased 200% in the prior year.
73% of Americans admit to binge-watching, with the average binge lasting three hours and eight minutes. 90% of millennials and 87% of Gen Z stated they binge-watch, and 40% of those age groups binge-watch an average of six episodes of television in one sitting.
The coronavirus pandemic led to a sharp increase in binge-viewing: HBO, for example, saw a 65% jump in subscribers watching three or more episodes at once starting on Mar. 14, 2020, around the time when many states implemented stay-at-home measures to slow the spread of COVID-19.
A 2021 Sykes survey found 38% of respondents streamed three or more hours of content on weekdays, and 48% did so on weekends. However, a Nielsen study found adults watched four or more hours of live and streaming TV a day, indicating individuals may be underestimating their TV consumption.
PRO
- Binge-watching establishes beneficial social connections.
- Binge-watching has health benefits like stress relief.
- Binge-watching makes a show more fulfilling.
CON
- Binge-watching leads to mental health issues.
- Binge-watching can cause serious physical health problems.
- Binge-watching makes the show less fulfilling.
This article was published on January 5, 2022, at Britannica’s ProCon.org, a nonpartisan issue-information source.