It’s 9 p.m., and you’re planning to go to sleep soon. You have to be up early for your swim meet. But you want to relax a bit before bed. So you pull up your favorite YouTube channel and press play. 

    When the video you’re watching ends, another video starts. One more can’t hurt, right? 

    But then you watch a third video, and a fourth, and a fifth . . . 

    Before you know it, it’s 1 a.m. And you haven’t even brushed your teeth yet. 

    If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. In fact, most Americans admit to binge-watching. That means watching hours of a TV show, YouTube, or TikTok in one sitting. 

    Binge-watching every once in a while is fun and harmless. But binge-watching has become a bigger part of our lives in recent years. And that has many experts worried. They’re saying that all this screen time is making us tired and lonely. 

    So why do we do it? And how can we stop?

    It’s 9 p.m. You’re going to sleep soon. You have a swim meet in the morning. But you want to relax before bed. So you start watching your favorite YouTube channel. 

    The first video ends. Another video starts. One more can’t hurt, right? 

    But then you watch a third video, and a fourth, and a fifth . . . 

    Before you know it, it’s 1 a.m. You haven’t even brushed your teeth yet. 

    Does this sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. Most Americans binge-watch. That means watching hours of a TV show, YouTube, or TikTok in one sitting. 

    Binge-watching can be fun and harmless. But in the past few years, binge-watching has become a bigger part of our lives. Many experts are worried. They say that too much screen time is making us tired and lonely. 

    So why do we do it? And how can we stop?

    It’s 9 p.m., and  you’re planning to go to sleep soon. You have to be up early for your swim meet—but you want to relax a bit before bed, so you pull up your favorite YouTube channel and press play. 

    When the video you’re watching ends, another video starts. One more can’t hurt, right? 

    But then you watch a third video, and a fourth, and a fifth . . . 

    Before you know it, it’s 1 a.m.—and you haven’t even brushed your teeth yet. 

    If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. In fact, most Americans admit to binge-watching, which means watching hours of a TV show, YouTube, or TikTok in one sitting. 

    Occasional binge-watching can be fun and harmless, but this viewing habit has become a bigger part of our lives in recent years. This worries many experts, who say that all this screen time is making us tired and lonely. 

    So why do we do it—and how can we stop?

^{Source: Deloitte Digital Democracy Survey}

^{Source: Deloitte Digital Democracy Survey}

^{Source: Deloitte Digital Democracy Survey}

    When your parents were kids, they could watch shows only on a TV. Binge-watching wasn’t really possible. Back then, most shows released one episode a week. To find out what happened next, you had to wait seven days. It was agony!

    Today, we have streaming services, such as Netflix and Disney Plus. They often release a whole season of a show at once. What happens to Eleven in Stranger Things? You don’t have to wait to find out. Just click “Next Episode.” 

    Why do we binge-watch? Partly because we can. But we do it for another reason too. It’s called dopamine. That’s a chemical. When you feel pleasure, your brain releases dopamine. It happens when you eat a brownie. It happens when you listen to your favorite song.

    It also happens when you watch a video you enjoy. Your brain really likes this rush of dopamine. So it tells you: “One more! One more!” 

    Our brains are not fully to blame, however. Streaming services start another video as soon as one ends. This also keeps us watching.

    When your parents were kids, binge-watching wasn’t really possible. Back then, the only way to watch a show was on a television set, and most shows released one episode per week. You had to wait seven days (in agony!) to find out what happened next. 

    Today, we have streaming services, such as Netflix and Disney Plus, which often release entire seasons of a show at once. As a result, we don’t have to wait a week—or even a minute—to find out what happens to Eleven in Stranger Things. We just click “Next Episode.” 

    We don’t binge-watch simply because we can, though. We binge-watch because our brains make it difficult to tear ourselves away. When you do something that brings you pleasure, such as biting into a gooey brownie or listening to your favorite song, your brain releases a chemical called dopamine. 

    And when you watch a video you enjoy, the same thing happens. Your brain really likes this rush of dopamine, so it tells you: “One more! One more!” 

    Our brains aren’t entirely to blame, however. Streaming services are designed to keep us watching their shows. They start another video as soon as one ends, which keeps our eyes glued to the screen.

1- THEN 
In the past, most shows released just one episode a week. Watching together felt like an event! 

2- NOW
It’s possible to watch a whole season of a show all at once. Many teens spend hours in front of a screen—alone.

1- THEN 
In the past, most shows released just one episode a week. Watching together felt like an event! 

2- NOW
It’s possible to watch a whole season of a show all at once. Many teens spend hours in front of a screen—alone.

1- THEN 
In the past, most shows released just one episode a week. Watching together felt like an event! 

2- NOW
It’s possible to watch a whole season of a show all at once. Many teens spend hours in front of a screen—alone.

    Binge-watching isn’t all bad. Zoning out with a good show can be relaxing. And having a Ms. Marvel marathon with friends can be fun. 

    But binge-watching too much can be a problem. Scientists have studied people who binge-watch. These viewers stay up later. They are more likely to be tired. They also spend more time sitting—by themselves. Experts say this isn’t good for our health or our mood. Too much time alone in front of a screen has been linked to loneliness and depression.

    Here’s another problem with binge-watching: You may not have as much fun. When you have to wait a week between episodes, it builds excitement. You think about what happened. You talk about it with friends. 

    Experts say we may actually enjoy shows more when we watch them slowly.

    Binge-watching isn’t all bad. Zoning out with a good show can help you relax, and having friends over for a Ms. Marvel marathon can be a fun way to hang out. 

    But it becomes a problem when we binge too much. Scientists who study people who binge-watch have found that these viewers are more likely to be tired all the time because they stay up later. Binge-watchers also spend more time sitting around—by themselves. Experts warn that this isn’t good for our health or our mood, and loneliness and depression have been linked to too much time alone in front of a screen.

    Here’s another reason to cut back on binging: It might make viewing less enjoyable. When a show releases one episode per week, it builds excitement because you think about what happened and discuss it with your friends between episodes. 

    According to experts, people may actually enjoy shows more when we watch them at a slower pace.

    So how do you know when binge-watching goes too far? Ask yourself a few questions. Are you skipping out on time with friends? Are you missing meals? Are you losing sleep? 

    If you answered yes to at least one question, you should probably cut back. For starters, turn off the screen one hour before bed. This will help you get a good rest.

    We promise all those MrBeast videos will still be there tomorrow.  

    So how do you know when binge-watching goes too far? Ask yourself a few questions. Are you saying no to plans with friends? Are you missing meals? Are you losing sleep? 

    If you answered yes to any of those questions, you should probably cut back. Start by turning off the screen one hour before bed. This will help you get more rest.

    We promise all those MrBeast videos will still be there tomorrow.  

    So how do you know when binge-watching goes too far? Ask yourself these questions: Are you skipping out on time with friends? Are you missing meals? Are you losing sleep? 

    If you answered yes to at least one of these, you should probably cut back. For starters, turn off the screen one hour before bed to get more rest at night.

    We promise all those MrBeast videos will still be there tomorrow.