What Is All That Binge Watching Doing To Your Health?

Thanks to streaming services like Netflix and Hulu that allow us to watch entire seasons of our favorite shows in one sitting, binge-watching has essentially become a cultural phenomenon.

No one questions it when you say you "binged" 13 Reasons Why in just two days — tbh, most of your friends and coworkers probably did, too. And the idea that people will spend their weekends watching episode after episode of a popular show has even inspired Refinery29 to start a popular Binge Club — where we recap entire seasons of shows just days after they're released on Netflix.

But have you ever stopped to think, what is all of that binge-watching doing to your body?

The creators behind ASAP Science have, and they made a video to break it down.

Sure, watching tons of TV back in 1967 could expose a person to dangerous radiation, but TVs — and, let's be honest, laptops — don't emit the same harmful rays now.

At first, binge-watching doesn't seem too bad. There's that dry eye anyone who sits in front of a screen for a living experiences, but that goes away once you peel your eyes away from the computer. And kids who spend a lot of time inside watching TV will likely need glasses — myopia is just the medical term for nearsightedness.

But then it gets a little worse — depending on how much binge-watching you do. Watching TV in bed can mess with your quality of sleep, which is tied to your concentration, mood, and overall health problems like diabetes or heart health if you get too little sleep over time, according to the UK's National Health Services.

In men, watching more than 20 hours of TV a week might even lower sperm count, the video says.

Studies have also correlated more TV time with health issues like diabetes and heart disease, and some indicate that watching too much TV can shorten someone's lifespan.

Still, that doesn't mean binge-watching is totally off the table. Just, if your binge-watches are more like binge-binges, then it might be time to shut it down and take a walk.

After all, the show will still be there tomorrow.