How does binge-watching TV affect mental health?

Published June 12, 2018 This content is archived.

Jessica Kruger, clinical assistance professor of community health and health behavior in the UB School of Public Health and Health Professions, was interviewed on NPR’s On Point about how binge-watching affects mental health for a story about binge-watching and the success of Netflix. “So we know that many people are binge-watching out there and we are looking to see if there are mental health effects in this. But my colleagues and I have found that people who are engaging in binge-watching, usually that two to five hours of watching at a time, show higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression,” she said. “What we don’t know is what comes first. Are they stressed, anxious and depressed and then turning to Netflix or after binging do they feel stressed, anxious and depressed?” Kruger’s interview begins at approximately the 30:30 mark.