Series addiction | To watch or not to watch TV series?

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Television is one of the components of the life of a modern person. Today it surrounds us everywhere: in transport, on the street, at work, in places of recreation, etc. But mainly it is present in our homes. And if not everyone has a TV for some reason or consideration, then the vast majority of people do.

Once at home, many people immediately turn on this "miracle device" or the Internet in order to continue watching or find some interesting TV series. Over time, this became their habit – something they do unconsciously, but on which they depend. Well, what's wrong with the habit of watching TV and TV shows? A completely harmless pastime. But is it really so?

A little bit about the dependence on the series

A person may not notice this, but, watching television series, over time, he is increasingly immersed in the world of other people – his favorite characters. He begins to think about them more than about those who are nearby, gets used to them, becomes identified with them. They become part of his life, and he himself is rather waiting for a new series to appear. And if, for the sake of watching a new episode, he is ready to sacrifice everything else, then it is worth asking the question: is it not harmful?

Dependence on television series at first glance, of course, does not pose any serious danger. However, despite this, it can have a serious impact on people's lives. It imperceptibly penetrates into the depths of consciousness, which after a while begins to manifest itself outwardly:

• the attitude to relatives and friends, to the implementation of important matters changes;
• reduced ability to concentrate and work effectively;
• even the perception of reality changes.

And problems begin in life, because the main need and the main desire is to sit on a sofa or chair, and rather pick up the remote control.

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Who is addicted to TV shows?

Most often, people who have a lot of stress in their lives, people whose quality of life does not satisfy their desires, pensioners, as well as people who experience a lack of communication become victims of television series addiction. Series become a kind of outlet for them – in them they find:

• positive emotions;
• more interesting events than in their lives;
• many kinds of impressions;
• close other gaps.

In other words, people find in the series what they lack in reality: no money and success in life – they are on TV, no recognition or a loved one – they are on TV, there is no career growth, self-realization, travel, romance or sharp sensations – it's all on TV!

But there are also exceptions to the rule. So, for example, a wealthy and successful businessman can watch TV shows in which there is a lot of cruelty and violence, thereby satisfying his need for negative emotions. A happy-looking young man who is in a relationship with a nice girl may become addicted to viewing erotica, because his need for a sufficient quantity or quality of sexual contacts is not satisfied. Cases are different, because each person is individual. And, in fact, there may be absolutely nothing wrong with satisfying such psychological requests if it is done from time to time and does not affect real life among real people. If fans of TV epics about maniacs and "soap operas" do not adopt the behavior and habits of their "ideals", then everything is in order. But if the human psyche is unstable and subject to outside influences, then not only dependence on TV shows can arise, but even a pathology can develop that can lead to undesirable results and disastrous consequences. And it is from this that you need to try in every possible way to protect yourself and your loved ones.

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How to determine the dependence on the series?

Before giving a number of symptoms of this addiction, it should be said that each of us must understand that he is always dependent on something. It is impossible to be independent of everything. Someone needs close people nearby, someone cannot live without a loved one or beloved, someone cannot help but wake up until they drink coffee. We all need food, water and air, because we depend on them – without them we will perish. But you need to understand that dependence can be positive, neutral and negative, and that there are dependencies that you can completely do without. And as soon as watching television series begins to become a habit that has a destructive effect on life, you must immediately take measures to eliminate it so that it does not worsen and “do things wrong”.

So, how to determine that a person has become addicted to television series?

• Watching TV series begins to prevail over communication with living people, and specifically with relatives, friends, loved ones.
• The daily routine begins to adapt to watching the series.
• Important matters such as work, study, business meetings, etc. fade into the background if there is a need to watch a new series of a television series.
• Thoughts about the events taking place in the series begin to dominate thoughts about current affairs.

It may seem absurd, and some will only smirk when reading about these symptoms. But believe me, there are such people. They may even be among you, even if you do not notice them. And it is important that these people understand that they may be at risk. In any case, pay attention to this is certainly worth it.

There are also other signs of addiction. They may be less obvious, but still retain their influence. For example, the impossibility of switching attention from a television series or TV show to something else, the desire to find something similar, a continuous discussion of what has been watched with everyone with whom it is possible to communicate, admiration or suffering from the actions of characters, etc.

Sometimes a person, finding himself in a seemingly hopeless situation or facing problems, can switch to the teleworld – for him this will be a way of protecting himself from external circumstances. But it is important to understand that this is only an evasion of problems and responsibility, which will not lead to anything good.

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What to do if you become addicted to TV series?

If you understand that you or someone close to you has such an addiction, you don’t need to panic and sound the alarm, but you just need to start coordinating your own behavior a little and follow the tips below:

• Gradually start changing habits. Specifically, the habit of watching television series. For starters, you can start to do something subtly while watching: chatting on other topics, planning, thinking about current affairs, cleaning, etc.
• Do not drastically limit viewing. At first, you can skip a series, then two, then three, etc. Gradually, interest in what is happening in the series will begin to fade, because you will see that the rejection of cinema did not have any negative impact on life.
• Understand and realize the reasons why you so want to stare at the TV again. Think about what it gives you, what it “saves” from, why you don’t want to live a real life at this time.
• Start replacing watching with other activities, even while at home. Turn off the TV, read a book, clean up, invite friends, etc.
• More time to be where there is no TV: on the street, in the gym, at work, at the institute. You can even go on a trip. You don't just need to take a tablet with a TV tuner with you.
• The best way is to get rid of the TV once and for all. The result will not be long in coming: firstly, you will completely eliminate the source of your addiction, secondly, you will stop perceiving information that is completely unnecessary to you, which is full of news and all kinds of TV shows, and thirdly, you will free up a huge amount of time to do something. something useful and important.
• In some cases, to get rid of addiction to TV shows, you should contact a psychologist. But much more important is to understand the cause of your addiction and eliminate it.

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Naturally, no one forces us to watch television series endlessly. Moreover, we have a choice: watch them or watch something else, or watch nothing at all. However, according to research conducted by British scientists, it was found that watching television series is a favorite way of relaxing for many people. It also turned out that this rest has a negative effect on brain activity: memory becomes worse, the ability to concentrate and observe decreases, the sharpness of sensations and an adequate perception of real events become dull, and the addiction caused by serials is similar to alcohol and drugs. Among other things, people who constantly watch television series become more nervous, irritable and negative if they fail to turn on the TV at the right time.

But it is impossible to say unequivocally that television series are harmful. There are also a number of positive aspects. For example, while watching some interesting series, you can have a great time with your family, as well as arrange a lively discussion of some issue addressed in the film, which activates brain activity. There are also series that bring up positive qualities in a person, cultivate the right attitude to things and develop thinking. Therefore, it is up to you to decide whether to watch the TV series or not, because there is nothing wrong with it, as such. It is only important that no series should become an alternative to real life, but could, if necessary, help pass an outstanding evening, and that's all.