Why TV box sets are our new best Friends
IT has been pinpointed as a possible cause of depression and can blight love lives as well as causing sleep deprivation.
But Scots TV fans are among the biggest ‘box-set bingers’ in the UK, with their favourite shows being Game of Thrones and Friends.
Researchers found Glasgow-based viewers have the strongest binge-viewing habit north of the Border – watching more than seven back-to-back episodes.
They are closely followed by viewers in Edinburgh and Aberdeen – who watch just over six episodes at a time.
Just behind the top two programmes are Breaking Bad, followed by The Walking Dead, The Simpsons, Only Fools and Horses, Dr Who, The Inbetweeners, 24 and Dexter.
The study, which examined how much energy Scots use to fulfil their box-set watching desires, was commissioned by Scottish Gas to mark the release of Game of Thrones season six.
Using data from energy smart meters, the research found Scots households use 15p of energy on the average viewing binge.
Energy usage on TVs has gone up by 19 per cent since the 1990s, the study showed, and for DVDs it has risen 6 per cent.
Jacqueline Stewart, smart energy expert at Scottish Gas, said: ‘There are some simple ways to be smart with your energy use when it comes to a marathon TV session. When you’re settling down to enjoy series, make sure you don’t leave multiple appliances running around the home while you won’t be using them.
‘And when you’re finished, don’t forget to switch the telly off, rather than leave it on standby.
‘The great thing about having a smart meter is that you can see how much electricity you’re using throughout the day, which helps you take control and keep on top of what you’re using your energy for.
‘Finally, when choosing a TV, it is also worth looking for models which have an energy efficient label.’
More than seven in ten people said the reason they watch more than one episode of a programme is because it’s addictive, with nearly a quarter stating it was their favourite thing to do.
Fear of missing out was given as a reason for box-set bingeing by nearly one in five people.
In February, an online poll by research company Trajectory found marathon TV show watching was robbing millions of people of their sleep – a situation worsened by ondemand television and streaming services such as Netflix or Amazon Prime.
Nine per cent of people watched TV until midnight last autumn, compared with 5 per cent in 2000, the report said.
In 1974, 95 per cent of the population was asleep by 1.30am in the morning. By 2011, this had dropped to 85 per cent.
Meanwhile, research last year said some viewers are so glued to TV shows late at night they ignore sexual advances by their partner.
Three-quarters of the 2,000 people questioned admitted watching shows for more than three hours at a time.
The survey, by website broadbandchoices.co.uk, showed half of viewers are so desperate to find out what happens next they sacrifice a good night’s sleep, while 15 per cent miss out on sex to watch a favourite show.
In Aberdeen and Glasgow, The Walking Dead is the most bingewatched programme, while Edinburgh favours Game of Thrones.
Breaking Bad is the most popular show for back-to-back viewing in London, while Manchester, Cardiff and Leicester favour Friends.
The study – collated by the Centre for Economic and Business Research – also found 70 per cent of bingers in the UK watch on LCD TVs, with 12 per cent watching on laptops, ten on plasma televisions and only 5 per cent on tablets.