Binge-watching and Politics? Emerging Media Studies Research Connects the Two

Is binge-watching your favorite series effecting your political engagement? Jacob Groshek, Assistant Professor, Emerging Media Studies and Sarah Krongard, Ph.D. student in the Emerging Media Studies program, take on this question by dissecting the relationships between binge-watching and political participation. They have found that although there are a number of side effects to binge-watching (depression, weight gain, sleep disorders, etc.) there are also potential negative effects on the health of democracy.

Groshek and Krongard have found that although binge-watching puts democratic participation at stake, it also may increase engagement. “Our research found that people who stream television more frequently were more involved in politics, both online and offline, than people who streamed less TV” they said.

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Written by Tatiana M.R. Johnson