Binge-watching ‘spoils shows’

Binge-watching your favourite television shows might actually make them less enjoyable, scientists have found.

Researchers discovered that watching too many episodes of a programme in one go led to “significantly less enjoyment” than if they were viewed on a weekly basis.

It could also affect how well you remember what happened – with binge-watchers forgetting the show’s content more quickly than weekly viewers.

Writing in the journal First Monday, the team from Melbourne University said: “Although it is a preferred viewing style catered to by many internet-based ondemand distribution companies, binge-watching does not appear to benefit sustained memory of viewed content and may affect show enjoyment.”