Television addiction
Television addiction refers to a problematic pattern of television viewing that may resemble other addictive disorders, though no universally accepted definition exists. Individuals who identify as television addicts often report using TV as a coping mechanism for negative emotions such as loneliness, anxiety, and anger, finding solace in the stability it provides amidst emotional turmoil. The rise of mobile devices has further facilitated constant access to television content, complicating the understanding of what constitutes excessive viewing. Despite the lack of formal recognition in diagnostic manuals like the DSM-5, research indicates that excessive television watching can lead to adverse psychological and physical health effects.
The discourse around television addiction has shifted significantly over the decades, with early research focusing on defining the issue and developing assessment tools, while more recent studies have examined its relationship with associated health and behavioral concerns, particularly among children. Self-reporting remains a significant challenge in understanding television addiction because individuals self-identifying as addicts can introduce bias into research findings. While many find immediate relief in viewing, this relief can diminish over time, leading to emotional and cognitive depletion. As researchers continue to explore the complex dynamics of television viewing habits and their potential link to other behavioral addictions, the conversation about television's role in mental health remains relevant and ongoing.
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Subject Terms
Television addiction
DEFINITION: No agreed-upon definition exists for television addiction because there are no clear criteria for what constitutes normal versus problematic television watching. Experts have relied on self-reports from television viewers who typically report that they watch television to help them cope with negative and dysphoric mood states, loneliness, extreme anger, and social anxiety. Self-identified addicts look forward to television viewing because it imposes stability on an otherwise imbalanced mental state. With the proliferation of mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, individuals can watch television shows anywhere and anytime.
Background
Television addiction was not listed in the fifth or sixth editions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5 and DSM-5-TR), which were published in 2013 and 2022, because of the range of factors that complicate a definition. However, research has shown that excessive television viewing has displayed similarities to other addictive disorders, especially substance abuse disorder. A significant effort was made in the early 1990s to solidify a meaningful definition and better identify health and safety concerns associated with excessive television viewing.
Surveying the available literature on this topic reveals a fascinating archive of how modern society has changed through the years. For instance, the most relevant books and journal articles on television addiction were published between 1986 and 1991; the research then shifted to definition issues and the development of empirical methods that would better identify how, why, and when television viewing becomes an addiction.
The twenty-first century has seen television addiction research neglected for research on Internet, video gaming, and social media addictions and for psychological and sociological inquiry into how attitudes about addiction are shaped by television. Also, later research has focused on comorbid factors related to the health and safety of children (for example, obesity, smoking, alcohol use, underlying depression, and social anxiety) who watch excessive amounts of television. All of these factors have led to a neglect of whether television addiction is real. Still, because of the availability of television programs on the Internet, these more recent addiction inquiries remain related to television addiction as well.
Excessive television viewing can have harmful effects on one’s psychological and physical health, but it need not, and there is a growing body of research that suggests that television can be instructive, can provide needed escape, and can help children reach certain developmental milestones. Taken together, though, several decades of research have not moved experts much closer to better understanding the dynamics of television addiction. Still, few people question that excessive television viewing can be problematic, particularly if people cannot control or simply reduce their viewing habits.
No great concern has accompanied the inability to define television addiction. Rather than debate what number of hours and functional limitations define television addiction, research has taken up the task of exploring related pathogenic effects (physical and psychopathological) and more methodically investigating the underlying psychological dynamics common to excessive television viewership.
Self-Identification
The ubiquity of the self-report plagues research into television addiction. The more serious attempts to create a structured assessment protocol that differentiates normal versus problematic viewing have relied solely on persons self-referring and self-identifying as television addicts. This challenges both the validity and the reliability of television addiction research.
Still, much has been learned from researchers who have tried to create these assessment tools. Specifically, participant pools that self-identify as television addicts have opened the door to understanding many other psychological factors that contribute to excessive viewing.
It is not uncommon for people to report immediate relief in much the same way that substance abusers experience instant gratification after use, though a similar parallel emerges. The longer someone watches television, the less likely they will continue to derive enjoyment from it. Whereas self-described television addicts report feeling immediately more relaxed after immersing themselves in television viewing, they also report feeling less stimulated over time (and oftentimes report feeling more emotionally and cognitively depleted).
People who experience social anxiety (or related loneliness) also may find themselves with decreasing levels of frustration tolerance over time, specifically with their own self-representations. Put another way, without the stimulation that television offers, people with an addiction will experience increased frustration trying to cope with their own interpersonal and intrapersonal conflicts. As such, it becomes increasingly more challenging to understand and work through existing patterns of negative thoughts.
Conclusions
Behavioral addictions such as television addiction may receive more discussion in future revised editions of the DSM. Still, other prevalent behavioral addictions, such as Internet, texting, and video gaming addictions, may not be considered at all. Given the already strong foundation of research into many of these areas since about 2005, it is likely that revisions of the DSM will more carefully consider the range of issues common to these behavioral addictions.
Television addiction specifically has been neglected alongside issues related to Internet addiction and social media addiction. A cursory literature review indicates as much. Instead, the focus has shifted toward the various health, safety, and psychological factors (such as underlying depression and anxiety) that conjoin with excessive television viewing. Furthermore, ongoing research examines the role that substance-based addictions can have in perpetuating behavioral addictions, while related sociological research examines the culture of reality television and how television, in general, shapes attitudes about addiction.
Efforts to define and discern television addiction from comorbid issues have largely abated. As a result, research paradigms have shifted toward the meaningful inclusion of television viewing in the analysis of other public health concerns and substance-based addictions.
Bibliography
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