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The association between binge-watching and social relationships, such as romantic relationships, family relationships, and friendships

Duwendag, M.S. (2020) The association between binge-watching and social relationships, such as romantic relationships, family relationships, and friendships.

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Abstract:Introduction. The offer of today’s streaming services grows and outclasses traditional television programs. Simultaneously with the rapid growth of online streaming services develops the phenomenon of binge-watching, which can affect social relationships. Aim. The present study aimed to investigate whether there is a relationship between binge-watching and different types of social relationships, specifically romantic relationships, family relationships, and friendships. Methods. The study had a quantitative research design and contained an online questionnaire that was completed by a convenient sample including 209 participants (M age = 23.88, SD = 6.6). To evaluate watching behaviour, participants were asked to indicate the number of episodes they normally watch in a row. To assess the quality of romantic relationships, the “couples satisfaction scale” was used. The “family relationships scale” was used to estimate familial qualities concerning expressiveness, cohesion, and conflict. Lastly, to determine the quality of friendships, the “friendship assessment scale” was applied. To test whether there are relationships between binge-watching and the three different types of social relationships the correlational analysis, namely Spearman’s Rho was conducted. Results. Results showed no significant correlation between binge-watching and romantic relationships (r_s = -.09, p > .05). Additional findings displayed a significant, positive, and weak correlation between binge-watching and family quality (r_s = .17) and a significant, positive, and weak correlation between binge-watching and the quality of friendships ( r_s = .26). Concerning family quality, there were no significant relationships detected between binge-watching and family cohesion or expressiveness, but a significant, positive, and weak relationship between binge-watching and family conflicts (r_s = .18). Conclusion. These findings illustrate that there are existing relationships between binge-watching and the quality of family relationships and friendships. More specifically, a higher number of episodes watched in a row is associated with lower qualities of family relationships and friendships. Consequently, today’s users should be aware of these relationships and be cautious and sceptical concerning the combination of binge-watching and family relationships or friendships. Based on these findings, future research should explore whether binge-watching can be used as a tool to increase or decrease the quality of social relationships. Keywords: binge-watching, romantic relationships, family relationships, friendships
Item Type:Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:77 psychology
Programme:Psychology BSc (56604)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/81728
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