More than half of Americans love watching 'comfort' TV shows and movies
More Americans use TV to destress than any other relaxation method, new research suggests.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of the streaming service Philo, a recent poll of 2,000 adults revealed that 55% watch TV as a self-soothing technique for relieving anxiety or stress.
That’s more than the number of respondents who relax by taking a bath (42%) or by doing yoga (33%).
Over half (56%) of participants seek out “comfort” TV shows or movies that they watch regularly, including twice as many people from the Northeast as the West (68% vs 36%, compared to 59% in the Southeast and 55% in the Midwest).
Respondents turn to those comfort shows most when feeling stressed (22%), bored (22%) or anxious (20%) — and on average, they’ve watched their comfort shows or movies about 18 different times.
“It may have something to do with the reward centers in your brain,” said Dr. Natalie King, PhD, a brain health expert and neuroscientist. “Watching your favorite TV series can encourage the release of dopamine, which creates a sense of euphoria. Dopamine essentially says to the brain: “You are enjoying this… Keep it up!’”
One in five respondents (22%) seek out dramas, such as historical movies or shows, crime procedurals and doctor shows making it the most popular genre to watch when stressed.
Baby boomers, however, were the most likely to opt for comedy, movies and sitcoms at 25%. Similarly, millennials (ages 26-41) chose dramas 25% of the time.
Thrillers, including horror, mystery and disaster movies, placed second in overall popularity (16%), but stood out as the most popular genre (19%) amongst Gen-Xers (ages 42-57).
Northeasterners opted for action (21%) and thrillers (22%), more than any other regional group — and twice as much as the West in particular (10% for action, 9% thrillers).
More than half of all people who opted for television to relax (54%) also find themselves snacking in front of the TV, with action fans most partial to salty carbohydrate-fueled snacks like popcorn, chips, or pretzels (42%).
Meanwhile, those who watched one hour dramas were more likely to opt for sweet (35%) and savory foods (34%).
“Eating sweet and savory food also releases dopamine, making it even more addictive over time,” Dr. King added. “When the mesolimbic dopamine system fires to signal that an event was positive, it reinforces behaviors and makes it more likely for us to carry out those actions again.”
Food aside, respondents said they maximize comfort in front of the TV by messaging their friends and family on another screen (43%), wearing comfy clothing (40%) and watching from their favorite spot (40%).
In fact, those who watch from their favorite spot are most likely to consider themselves “relaxed” (34%) after watching their comfort show.
To that same tune, those who are watching from a TV or home theater room are most likely watching dramas (34%) and those who are watching from their living room are likely turning on an action flick (28%).
相關影片推薦
- 1:11直擊漢莎航空班機「觸地重飛」重重落地即刻拉升超驚險Yahoo奇摩(國際通)26,328 次觀看・15 小時前
- 2:14比利時男子患罕病「自動釀酒症候群」身體自產酒精 酒駕獲判無罪Yahoo奇摩(國際通)30,448 次觀看・18 小時前
- 2:16「無聊手機」亮相 不能上網助青年「數位排毒」Yahoo奇摩(國際通)9,375 次觀看・15 小時前
- 1:11林志穎、郝劭文30年後再度同框 網友驚嘆時光靜止「他吃防腐劑長大」娛樂星聞7,488 次觀看・13 小時前
- 1:39龍德造船製"不倒翁船"360度翻轉扶正 被讚台灣之光民視影音48,895 次觀看・17 小時前
- 1:52民眾抗議"藍封殺提案" 卻遭張智倫辦公室主任"掛電話"民視影音16,093 次觀看・12 小時前
- 接行政院秘書長一職 龔明鑫曝徵詢過程 台灣未來二十年發展仍樂觀!「下階段是數位、淨零轉型」【齊有此理】齊有此理123,740 次觀看・2 天前
- 2:35西門町60年大樓外牆裝倒V鋼架 專家:防震關鍵華視影音31,104 次觀看・18 小時前
- 1:42離譜! 處方箋出現不雅字眼 基隆醫院發聲明道歉民視影音14,923 次觀看・7 小時前
- 23:55地震搖不停 台積電員工聽到公務機鈴聲《台積心靈捕手》響起 半夜也要去 熊本廠日本員工只走SOP 台人扛重擔|鏡轉全球鏡新聞86,419 次觀看・1 天前
熱門必看
- 2:47唐綺陽運勢 / 本週星座運勢:4/22~4/28一周星象預報!適逢節氣交替,多注意身體健康!唐綺陽談星室48,410 次觀看・5 天前
- 8:18精華|12星座女孩的專屬療傷情歌!天秤連分手都要很美!?唐綺陽談星室31,002 次觀看・6 天前
- 0:25香菜控一定要來!這個香腸直接大加分板橋Edenx食旅8,058 次觀看・1 天前
- 23:232024北海道巴士旅✨阿寒湖、釧路夢幻雪景不自駕也能去|幣舞橋、釧路和商市場、勝手丼、釧路濕原、阿寒湖、鶴見台、釧路漁人碼頭MOO、北海道壽司|北海道道東・Japan 4K vlog吉田社長交朋友6,178 次觀看・2 天前
- 14:01邱宇辰、黃宏軒演出腐女心中的幻想!超禁忌兄弟戀讓唐老師興奮到模糊!?Ep.215-1唐綺陽談星室41,801 次觀看・3 天前