Bingeing on video streaming platforms might prove you to be an addict

Long hours before the screen, bingeing on your favourite show as the night slips into dawn and another day beckons – that this all too familiar scenario can spiral into a medically certifiable addiction is already in evidence, say doctors.

There is increasing anecdotal evidence of people getting hooked to multiple screens – television, computer and phone – with online video streaming platforms like Netflix, Hotstar and Amazon Prime offering entire seasons of television shows and thousands of films at the touch of a button.

Now, in what could be India’s first such case, a 26year-old in Bangalore is being treated for ‘Netflix addiction’.

The young man, being treated at Bangalore’s National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, reportedly turned to the online video streaming platform to keep himself occupied during a six-month period of unemployment before he realised he just couldn’t stop.

“He used to watch for seven hours, and sometimes it would go up to 10 hours per day. It led to loss of control, withdrawal. When his parents asked him not to watch, he would get angry and irritated,” Manoj Kumar Sharma, who is treating the man.

According to Mumbaibased psychologist Harish Shetty, addicts of online television can be spotted by their behavioural and viewing patterns.

Much like drugs, addicts of online television feel the need to watch shows every day, gradually withdrawing from their environment. This often results in strained and dysfunctional relationships in both the personal and professional spheres.

Shetty suggested that monitoring viewing time and hours, and hitting the bed early after dinner should help you stay away from a potential addiction.