In relation to binge-watching, this would mean:īinge-watching is the most important thing in the person’s life (salience) Over many years studying addiction, I’ve argued that all addictive behaviours comprise six core components.

As with other addictive behaviours, more important is whether binge-watching is having a negative impact on other aspects of the person’s life. Problematic binge-watching isn’t defined by the number of episodes watched (although most researchers agree it’s at least two in a row), or a specific number of hours spent in front of the TV or computer screen. Unsurprisingly, during Covid lockdowns, research shows many of us spent more time binge-watching than usual.īut can binge-watching become problematic or addictive? And if you can’t tear yourself away, what can you do? The proliferation of streaming services over recent years has made it very easy to do.

Today, millions of us – including me – regularly consume our favourite series in this way. Although it didn’t win (“selfie” ultimately took the crown), this pointed to the rise of what was becoming a popular activity of watching multiple episodes of a TV show in a single sitting.

The term “binge-watch” was a contender for the Oxford English Dictionary’s 2013 word of the year.

Watch impulse season 1 episode 4