Bengaluru: While the fate of some of the Netflix series (such as Sacred Games) is caught up in fire after the dissolution of Phantom Films, many people have and continue to fall victim to Netflix addiction – a sub category of screen addiction.
Researchers in the city have found cases where people’s addiction has lead to a decline in efficiency at work and has also affected their interpersonal relations.
Last week, the Service for Healthy Use of Technology (SHUT) clinic at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru received its first case, a 26-year-old man who was unemployed and turned to Netflix to shut out reality for more than six months. He would reportedly spend at least seven hours a day watching programs and movies on the online platform.
According to a report by The News Minute, Dr Manoj Sharma, Professor of Clinical Psychology at NIMHANS said, “The patient told us that initially it was a stress buster for him. He was facing immense pressure at work and was also dealing with some other personal issues and would end up logging onto to an online platform to watch some shows as a distraction. But soon he found himself using this as an escape mechanism and spent far more time on it than he did doing any other tasks.”
The addiction led to eye strain, fatigue, and disturbed sleeping patterns. To help him overcome his addiction, doctors at the clinic are addressing his psychological issues through therapy, prescribing relaxation exercises, and guiding him in his career.
While the young man’s case was the most extreme form at the clinic, Dr Sharma said that many of his patients being treated for online gaming addictions are also escaping into streaming platforms to watch shows.
Netflix has become the new opium of the masses as many people are now obsessed with it. As the experts say, the consequences of binge-watching shows on video-on-demand platforms and streaming services like Netflix can be deadly, taking a toll on your health, social life, emotions and more. Sitting for long stretches of time is linked to an increased risk of various health issues, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, etc.
