Overview
- Conducted by Huangshan University, the peer‑reviewed study reports a significant association between addictive binge-watching and higher self‑reported loneliness.
- Participants were adults who watched at least 3.5 hours of TV series per day and more than four episodes per week, with 61% meeting the study’s addiction criteria.
- The link with loneliness was tied to motivations of escapism and emotional enhancement among those classified as addicted.
- Heavy viewers who did not meet addiction criteria did not show the same association with loneliness, underscoring a distinction between volume of viewing and addiction.
- The authors stress the findings are correlational and limited to TV series, excluding platforms like YouTube and TikTok, and they call for causal and broader-population research.