Review of Related Literature and Studies

In the past, people endured the suspense of waiting a week

until the next episode of their favorite television shows aired.
Today, this suspenseful waiting is becoming less and less of a
reality. Many college students will sit down in front of a TV or
computer screen for hours at a time and watch episode after
episode, season after season, of easily accessed programs,
rather than having to wait a week for the next episode to come
onto television. One individual commenting for the Washington
Post noted his observation of the change in television-viewing
culture, stating that once-mocked “couch potatoes” are now
considered more of a norm, due to the flexible nature of
streaming shows so that one might complete both homework and a
whole season of a television program (Eidler, 2011).
Binge watching is the practice of viewing television for
prolonged periods of time where viewers tend to watch multiple
episodes of the same series in succession. Young adults,
especially college students, frequently engage in this
behaviour, representing a modern form of heavy television
use.Research findings indicate that binge watching is motivated
by certain factors including boredom, stress, loneliness, social
engagement and addiction deriving from habit. Parallels can be
drawn between binge watching, heavy television use and
television addiction all of which are associated with negative
consequences for physical health, mental health, social
interaction and academics among college students. This warrants
the need to spread awareness on the deleterious effects of binge
watching television for students and implementing intervention
and training programs to help counteract such effects. However,
much research is required to further understand the impact of
binge watching and its incurrence of negative consequences for
which appropriate solutions need to be devised (Dandamudi &
Sathiyaseelan, 2018).

Local Study

According to the study conducted by Masiglat and Castronuevo

(2017), the positive experiences that they shared included
gaining new friends and strengthening old ones because they use
binge-watching as a topic of conversation and it may become a
factor that bonds people together. Binge-watching can also help
educate individuals because most respondents stated that they
learn a lot from the series they watch, such as the variety of
cultures, diverse information, and personal insights from the
characters on television. Motivators rampant among the responses
of the participants are stress relief and relaxation. Since
full-time employees are the participants in this research, they
are exposed to stress from work five to six days a week, and
they indulge in binge-watching to relieve them of stress due to
paperwork, overtime, and irate clients. When asked if binge-
watching is a benefit or a liability, 7 out of 12 participants
regarded said habit as a benefit. Most of the studies found
earlier associated binge-watching to negative issues, however
this research puts binge-watching in good light because it has
now been a very common habit not only with adolescents but with
employed adults as well. The researcher recommends a bigger
sample size for future studies, as well as an inclusion of other
employees in fields of work not mentioned nor interviewed in
this research. Another plausible topic for future studies in
line with this is a quantitative analysis about the serious
psychological effects that can be brought upon by binge-
watching.
Foreign Study

According to the study conducted by Wheeler (2015), with the

rise in streaming products such as Netflix and Hulu, there is a
need to investigate the new trend of “binge-watching” television
programs. Though this phenomenon has been pondered widely in the
popular media sphere, little, if any, psychological research has
investigated this phenomenon. The present study investigated
college students’ television-viewing behaviors, including binge-
watching television, television affinity, and television-viewing
motivations, and assessed the relationships between these
television-viewing behaviors and relationship attachment,
loneliness, depression, and psychological well-being.
Participants completed several measures, including the
Experiences in Close Relationships: Revised (ECR-R), the UCLA
Loneliness Scale (Version 3), the Center for Epidemiologic
Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Ryff’s Psychological Well-
Being Scale, the Television Viewing Motives Scale, the
Television Affinity Scale, and items created by the current
researcher to measure television viewing habits and binge-
watching behaviors. Results showed significant positive
associations between binge-watching television and attachment
anxiety and depression. Results also showed that binge-watching
behaviors were positively associated with television affinity,
instrumental TV viewing motives, and ritualistic TV viewing
motives. These results contribute to our understanding of the
psychological correlates of television viewing behaviors, and
are relevant in today’s world with the increased use of
television and movie streaming forums such as Netflix, Hulu, and
Amazon Instant Video.
 On the study conducted by Aziz, Hassan and Sallehuddin
(2016),the largest influence on anime was television. Most shows
were for boys or both. In the twenty first century, anime
changed significantly and encompasses the breath of Malaysians
lifestyle. This article examines the impact of anime on
university students’ behavior in an effort to provide the reader
with an understanding of anime, their social structures and the
issues behind this popular cultural product. The anime includes
the anime's background, context, character design,
characterization and storyline organization aired on television.
Hence, the objectives of this research are to study the
university students’ initial attitudes towards anime aired on
television, and to examine their acceptance on the anime
character, characterization, and storyline of anime aired on
television. This study will analyze data from a survey of 247
university students in Malaysia. Findings disclosed that there
is students’ attitudes towards anime are more to the positive
side and they are not too obsessed towards the anime character.

According to the study conducted by Omar and Sallehuddin

(2011), television is being blamed for children becoming
aggressive in later life because of its content. Anime programme
such as Naruto, Pokemon, Digimon, and Astro Boy contain more
aggressive behaviour compared to any other type of programming.
Therefore, this study identifies the impact of anime on school
children’s aggressive behaviour. In accordance to this
perspective, the objectives of this research are: 1) to
investigate the children’s initial attitudes towards anime aired
on television, 2) to examine children’s acceptance on the
aggressive character, characterization, and storyline of anime
aired on television, 3) to determine children’s aggressive
reaction to their surrounding after every episode seen, and 4)
to ascertain children’s feeling after they react aggressively
towards their surroundings. This study was conducted on 135
students of Standard Six of Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Cheras
Jaya, Balakong, Selangor. Results indicate that most of the
students say anime is fun because it has interestingness,
realism, humour, and also violence. The students believed that
those programme contributes to aggressive behaviour. Most of the
students would learn and imitate from their observation through
those programme. However, they disagreed that anime can turn
them into someone else. If they feel being intimidated, the
students would hit, attack, or kick that particular person. This
study also revealed that the students most likely feel bad when
hurting other people and therefore they would never behave
aggressively towards their surroundings.

On the study conducted by Bakar, Estella and Ramayan (2018),

states that the effects and factors of binge-watching were
assessed based on the Uses & Gratification Theory (UGT). The
participants’ feedback was transcribed and analyzed by using
McQuail’s coding method that includes five categories which are
entertainment, escapism, education, social, and character
(Stoldt, 2013). The results suggest, entertainment as the main
factor for binge-watching has positive effects on interpersonal
communication among DCLA students who are more socialized with
their fellow binge-watchers. It is hoped that future researchers
will consider binge-bonding as a new area in the study of
bingewatching.

According to the study conducted by Mohamed Ahmed (2017), the

results showed that Youtube and TV Program websites are the main
sources that respondents use for binge-watching. The most
popular devices used for binge-watching are smart phones and
laptops. The findings revealed that binge-watching is more
significant among the younger age group. Also, the results
showed a significant positive correlation between binge TV-
watching and loneliness.

According to the study conducted by Ayten, Bulat, and

İnceismail (2019), there is a positive correlation between
information, integration and social interaction, personal
identity, entertainment and production factors and being a binge
racer of the Protector in particular. On the other hand, no
correlation has found out between being a binge watcher and
information, integration and social interaction, personal
identity, entertainment and production factor. The factors
affecting the binge watchers of the series have not been clearly
identified. To the obtained data on entertainment factor, it can
assume that binge watchers have seen the Protector to spend
their free time.

On the study conducted by Billieux, J. Flayelle, M. and

Maurage (2017), states that a content analysis identified binge-
watching features across three dimensions: TV series watching
motivations,TV series watching engagement,and structural
characteristics of TV shows. Most participants acknowledged that
TV series watching can become addictive,but they all agreed
having trouble recognizing themselves as truly being an
“addict.” Although obvious connections could be established with
substance addiction criteria and symptoms,such parallel is
appeared to be insufficient,as several distinctive facets
emerged (e.g.,positive view,transient over involvement,context
dependency,and low everyday life impact).

According to the research conducted by the University of

Michigan (UM) and the Leuven School for Mass Communication
Research in Belgium found that higher binge-viewing frequency
leads to poorer sleep quality, more fatigue and increased
insomnia. Regular TV viewing does not have this problem, the
research concluded. Researchers surveyed 423 adults between the
ages of 18 and 25 in February 2016, asking about their sleep
quality, fatigue and insomnia, as well as the frequency of
binge-watching programs on a TV, laptop or desktop computer for
the last month. Some 81 percent of the respondents reported that
they had binge-watched. Of this group, nearly 40 percent did it
once during the month preceding the study, while 28 percent said
they did it a few times. About 7 percent had binge-viewed almost
every day during the preceding month. Men binge-watched less
frequently than women, but the viewing session nearly doubled
that of women. Respondents indicated they slept seven hours and
37 minutes on average, and those who binge-viewed reported more
fatigue and poor sleep quality compared to those who didn't
binge-watch.
References

Masiglat, X. C. and Castronuevo, E. A. (2017). The Bedan Journal

of Psychology 2017 . Profile and Experiences of Full-Time
Employees on Binge-watching

Dandamudi,V. & Sathiyaseelan, A. (2018).Binge Watching: Why Are

College Students Glued To Their Screens?. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326799916

Wheeler, K. S.(2015). The Relationships Between Television

Viewing Behaviors, Attachment, Loneliness, Depression, and
Psychological Well-Being. University Honors Program Theses.
 98. Retrieved from
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/honors-theses /98

Aziz, N.N., Hassan, N.A. and Sallehuddin, I. S. (2016). A Study

On Anime and Its Impacts Among University Students. Retrieved
from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319494624

Omar,F.I.B. and Sallehuddin,I.S.B.(2011). The Perceived Impact

Of Anime On School Children’S Aggressive Behaviour

Bakar,I.A.A. Estella, A.L.M. and Ramayan, S.(2018. The Effects

of Binge Watching on Interpersonal Communication among
Department of Communication and Liberal Arts (DCLA) Students.
Retrieved From
https://www.academia.edu/37590967/The_Effects_of_Binge
Watching_on_Interpersonal_Communication_among_Department
_of_Communication_and_Liberal_Arts_(DCLA)_Students

Mohamed Ahmed, A. A.(2017).New era of TV-watching behavior:

Binge watching and its psychological effects. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317947993

Ayten, A.,Bulat S.,İnceismail E. (2019). A Study of Generation

Z Viewing Habits in Context of Uses and Gratification Theory:
The Protector Netflix Series Case

Billieux, J. Flayelle, M. and Maurage, P. (2017). Journal of

Behavioral Addictions. Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Exelmans, L. (2017). Binge-watching leads to poor sleep

quality:study . Retrieved From
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