Daily Archives: December 7, 2021

The term "binge-watch" was a contender for the Oxford English Dictionary's 2013 word of the year. Although it didn't win ("selfie" ultimately took the crown), this pointed to the rise of what was becoming a popular activity of watching multiple episodes of a TV show in a single sitting.

Today, millions of us including me regularly consume our favorite series in this way. The proliferation of streaming services over recent years has made it very easy to do. Unsurprisingly, during COVID lockdowns, research shows many of us spent more time binge-watching than usual.

But can binge-watching become problematic or addictive? And if you can't tear yourself away, what can you do?

Problematic binge-watching isn't defined by the number of episodes watched (although most researchers agree it's at least two in a row), or a specific number of hours spent in front of the TV or computer screen. As with other addictive behaviors, more important is whether binge-watching is having a negative impact on other aspects of the person's life.

Over many years studying addiction, I've argued that all addictive behaviors comprise six core components. In relation to binge-watching, this would mean:

Binge-watching is the most important thing in the person's life (salience)

The person engages in binge-watching as a way of reliably changing their mood: to feel better in the short-term or to temporarily escape from something negative in their life (mood modification)

Binge-watching compromises key aspects of the person's life like relationships and education or work (conflict)

The number of hours the person spends binge-watching each day has increased significantly over time (tolerance)

The person experiences psychological and/or physiological withdrawal symptoms if they're unable to binge-watch (withdrawal)

If the person manages to temporarily stop binge-watching, when they engage in the activity again, they go straight back into the cycle they were in previously (relapse).

In my view, any person who fulfils these six components would be genuinely addicted to binge-watching. A person who only fulfils some of these may be exhibiting problematic binge-watching, but wouldn't be classed as addicted by my criteria.

Like many other behavioral addictions, such as sex addiction, work addiction and exercise addiction, binge-watching addiction is not officially recognized in any psychiatric manuals. We also don't have accurate estimates of the prevalence of problematic binge-watching. But research into this phenomenon is growing.

In the latest study on this topic, a research team in Poland surveyed 645 young adults, all of whom reported that they had watched at least two episodes of one show in a single sitting. The researchers wanted to understand some of the factors underlying problematic binge-watching.

The authors (who based their definition of problematic binge-watching partly on my components model of addiction) used a questionnaire they developed in an earlier study to assess problematic binge-watching among participants. Questions included: "How often do you neglect your duties in favor of watching series?" "How often do you feel sad or irritated when you can't watch the TV series?" and "How often do you neglect your sleep to binge-watch series?"

Participants had to give answers on a six-point scale from one (never) to six (always). A score above a certain threshold was deemed indicative of problematic binge-watching.

Using a range of other scales, the researchers found that impulse control difficulties, lack of premeditation (difficulties in planning and evaluating the consequences of a given behavior), watching to escape and forget about problems, and watching to avoid feeling lonely were among the most significant predictors of problematic binge-watching.

Using the same data, the researchers reported in an earlier study that problematic binge-watching had a significant association with anxiety-depressive syndrome. The greater the symptoms of anxiety and depression, the more problematic a person's binge-watching was.

Other studies have reported similar findings. A study of Taiwanese adults, for example, found problematic binge-watching was associated with depression, anxiety around social interaction and loneliness.

An American study found the behavior was associated with depression and attachment anxiety. Most related studies like this one from Portugal have also shown escapism to be a key motivation of problematic binge-watching.

In terms of personality traits, research has shown that problematic binge-watching appears to be associated with low conscientiousness (characterized by being impulsive, careless and disorganized) and high neuroticism (characterized by being anxious and prone to negative emotions). We see these types of associations in addictive behaviors more generally.

If you want to cut down on the number of episodes you watch in one sitting, my golden rule is to stop watching mid-way through an episode. It's really hard to stop watching at the end of an episode as so often the show ends with a cliff-hanger.

I also suggest setting realistic daily limits. For me, it's 2.5 hours if I have work the next day, or up to five hours if I don't. And only start watching as a reward to yourself after you've done everything you need to in terms of work and social obligations.

Remember, the difference between a healthy enthusiasm and an addiction is that the former adds to your life, whereas the latter detracts from it.

If you feel binge-watching is taking over your life, you should seek a referral from your GP to see a clinical psychologist. Most addictions are symptomatic of other underlying problems.

Mark Griffiths, Director of the International Gaming Research Unit and Professor of BehavioralAddiction, Nottingham Trent University.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Read more here:

An Actual 'Addiction' to Binge-Watching TV Could Be More Real Than You Think - ScienceAlert

Tis the season to be jolly. Or tis the season to be jolly cautious? The Prime Minister tells us to party on, while health officials are advising us to restrict socialising. No indiscriminate snogging (sic), says a Cabinet minister. But then people are urged by the Government to keep living their life. The Christmas party season is upon us, and no one knows quite which way to turn. Nothing new there, then.

We are back to the point of having to manage our own risk profile, and, in one sense, thats perfectly reasonable. We have lived with this pandemic for long enough now to be able to make informed choices on what we should and should not do for the safety of ourselves and our fellow citizens. And what we have discovered is that, under the cover of Covid, many people have decided not to bother.

What a relief, some might say. No need to make lame excuses when you dont fancy an upcoming social event. Cant get a babysitter. Or my child is ill. Or the car has broken down. No, its a straightforward call these days. Im sorry, but Im seeing my elderly parents at Christmas, and Im worried about the new variant. Everyone understands. No problem. No need to have your conscience pricked.

We are told that Hogo (the Hassle of Going Out) is a modern, Covid-inspired phenomenon. Many people, we learn, would rather stay at home and watch a box set than go to a party and talk about the box set they are watching. Maybe its my advanced age, but Ive had party ennui for quite some time.

I think I may have reached the stage of life when I have been to, and given, all the parties I ever want to. So now, when asked whether I am going to such-and-such event, I cheerfully employ a more common acronym: NFI. In this case, it means Not Flipping (or some such word) Interested.

At this point, I will share with you an invaluable piece of advice for those who find themselves, on the day of a social engagement, wishing they had never agreed to go in the first place. The golden rule is this: do not accept an invitation to do something in six weeks time that you wouldnt want to do that very evening. Because one day soon, it will be that very evening. And I can guarantee you wont want to go.

But while Covid may have allowed some of us to unleash our inner misanthrope without fear of reprisal or judgement, the basic human need to connect and socialise will survive the current difficulties.

Which brings us to a much bigger question. Has our fun gene has been altered in a more fundamental way than we even realise? Could Hogo be superseded by Fogo, fear being a much more powerful driver than hassle?

We do not yet know what Omicron, or its next mutation, might bring, and that uncertainty is enough to give people, across the generations, pause for thought when it comes to unbridled social interaction. It might be all right for No 10 to have a big old hoolie, but the rest of us may be a little more watchful. Whether you are a giver or a goer, we reserve the right to party. Or not, as the case may be.

Welcome to Christmas 2021 giving a whole new meaning to cancel culture.

Read the original here:

If the Omicron variant doesnt kill off Christmas parties, Hogo (the hassle of going out) just might - iNews

1 / 1 Omicron variant threat

Deepesh Parswani,Ecommerce entrepreneurAs responsible citizens, we should avoid mass gatherings, travel should be restricted and we should follow the Covid protocol. The government should also take proactive steps and restrict movement of people at high risk, like kids and elderly. Wait and watch attitude can get us into trouble again.

Sunil Bhatnagar,RetiredGovernment should immediately impose restrictions on mass public gatherings, strictly enforce RTPCR testing on all international arrivals, isolation and contact tracing of all suspected cases to be done to contain the spread. Ramp up medical infrastructure and be ready to meet spurt in cases. Citizens to fully cooperate by wearing masks, maintain social distancing and personal hygiene and most importantly, avoid panic and rumour mongering.

Harvinder Kaur Ahluwalia,Retired teacherOmicron being a virus cant be stopped from spreading as it needs only a medium for transmission. We only have to ensure to stay safe from it and by now, everyone is aware of all Covid guidelines. People and government became relaxed and stopped following Covid protocols as there was decline in fresh cases. We have to continue life wearing masks for some more time as full vaccination will help us win the battle with Omicron.

Dhyey Shah,Doctor-lecturerWith the entry of new strain, which is said to be more infectious, the next 15 days shall be crucial to avoid another wave. If everyone uses Covid-appropriate behaviour like mask hygiene and hand-washing wherever required, we all can together stop the spread.

Minesh Shah,Marketing directorCitizens responsibility is to strictly follow protocols laid down by authorities for their own and also for everyones safety. Authorities at the same time should become strict and impose heavy penalty on those not following the guidelines of government. Both will have to work hand-in-hand in any case to fight Omicron. It is not a one-person job, together we can fight and win.

Jhalak Singhi,StudentI believe, immediately schools and entertainment hubs should close down as studies have stated that this variant is dangerous for children.

Suraj Tripathi,StudentDue to the arrival of Omicron virus in Gujarat, special attention should be to the following things: Cover face at all times, in public place or workplace and during transport; social distancing individuals must maintain adequate distance in public places; do not spit in public places and if people do not understand, they should be fined.

Shrinath Vyas,Sports physiotherapistWith the recent spike in cases of Omicron, it is mandatory for people to understand the graveness of the situation and avoid panic travelling. People have forgotten social distancing norms at places like gym, cafes, colleges, etc. Everything needs to return to the new normal for us to return to normal.

Pramod Varandani,Pharma businessmanIt is said prevention is always better than cure. So, certain steps like compulsory quarantine for international travelers flying into India, RTPCR tests, back to wearing N95 masks instead of the cotton masks, limiting international travelling, avoiding mass gatherings and maintaining social distancing could be followed to prevent citizens from this new Omicron variant.

@Nehru_WhooFollow strict protocols like we did in apr, may . authorities are slacking off now..no vaccine certificate checks or mask check at any public transport,gardens or malls.

Vinod Sajnani @vinodsajnaniPeople cant have liberty to skip vaccination. Govt must set a golden rule now. No heathcare services to non-vaccinated citizens

Read more:

Omicron enters Gujarat: What are the immediate steps should authorities and citizens take? - Ahmedabad Mirror

[Dolph], there is too much to think about you, and too much to feel. The difficulty is your life refuses summation it always did and invites contemplation instead. From Toni Morrisons eulogy for James Baldwin

My mama from the Chi, my daddy from the M, Thats why I hustle like John Gotti, and think like a pimp

Adolph Thornton, Jr., was the griot of the ghetto; the prophet to the poor. Not only was he gifted in rhyme and rhythm, but he spent his life giving the world at least three gifts.

First, he gave the gift of the impenetrable hustle. A graduate of South Memphis Hamilton High School and Castalia Heights School of Hustlin, he was born to parents who were committed to the game. They sent him to Memphis from Chicago where he followed in their footsteps, a mirror image of his father.

He wasnt studyin anyone else; he took on responsibility early for himself, for his family and for his community. A college degree wasnt his priority; it was becoming his own man and creating opportunities for other men around him who desired to make it out the hood. His early years were not without mistakes, however. Yet, his rap sheet didnt prevent him from rapping, using the money he earned from the streets to produce and market his mixtapes.

Keep goin up the ladder (ayy), they mad, make em madder (hey)

His second gift was building ladders. He would establish Paper Route Empire for the other rap hopefuls who crossed his path and in whom he believed. With over 20 mixtapes, several studio albums, a plethora of features, Top 200 Billboard hits, he could sign his name next to rappers turned businessmen like Jay Z and Master P.; he reached back to pull others along as he climbed.

The unspoken golden rule says once you make it out the hood, never go back. While he may have known this, Dolph didnt believe it. His actions spoke that every person living where he left deserved a better life. Reaching in the depth of his heart and pockets, he often returned to Memphis, with his children by his side, giving back, lifting up and inspiring the next generation. Whether they wanted to be rappers, ballers or simply thrive beyond the ZIP codes of abject poverty, Dolph knew kids didnt need another lecture or sermon; his presence in his hood and hometown was the third gift.

I got a sweet tooth but I stay away from suckers (For real though)

It is tragically poetic that his final breath would be taken at one of his favorite mom and pop shops, Makedas Homemade Butter Cookies. His love for his community reached beyond any fear or threat he may have ever received. The beat of his heart lived in the hustle of South Memphis streets, in the smiles of the Hill family in Makedas; in the love from Hamilton students. The embrace of his grandmother and children. The admiration of his protegees. When he was home, he was king. And we crowned him.

As Morrison said in Baldwins eulogy: This then is no calamity. No. This is jubilee. Our crown, you said, has already been bought and paid for. All we have to do, you said, is wear it.

Cheers is a social media guru and writer and the director of communications for Bridges.

This story is brought to you by MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, a nonprofit newsroom focused on poverty, power and policy in Memphis. Support independent journalism by making a tax-deductible donation today. MLK50 is also supported by these generous donors.

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Young Dolphs gifts included more than rapping - mlk50.com

Chances are your last (online) brainstorm session was not a true one. As it happens, there is a complete lack of understanding about brainstorming. Put a few people together and say, come up with ideas, and we then call it a brainstorming session. Which is not what a brainstorm entails. What has been written about brainstorming is often wrong. It seems, moreover, that the researchers who claim that brainstorming is not effective do not really know what brainstorming involves.In this column, I am going back to the source of brainstorming and explain why brainstorming is worthy of our appreciation.

The idea of brainstorming was masterminded by Alex Faickney Osborn (1888-1966). Osborn was a classic case of The American Dream. He paid for his (psychology) studies himself with all sorts of side jobs. He was fired from his first job only to later become the director of the BBDO advertising agency in New York. The O stands for Osborn. BBDO employed over 1000 people in his time. The company still exists today.

Do an online search for Osborn and brainstorming and chances are you will be referred to the book Applied Imagination. I bought Applied Imagination to find out how Osborn described brainstorming. So, back to the source. And how does Osborn interpret brainstorming? He doesnt! He does mention the word, but he uses it as if the reader already understands what it means.

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I was convinced that Applied Imagination would clarify what brainstorming is. After all, it is mentioned in all kinds of articles on the Internet. This is a typical of the misconceptions about brainstorming and Osborn. What is written about it, is often incorrect.Much to my chagrin, I bought another book. Osborns earlier work: Your Creative Power published in 1948.

If you have a thing for creativity: buy it and read it. Osborn writes like a true American from the 40s and 50s of the last century. He writes passionately about creativity as the means to end the Cold War. He writes about women who can also be creative because they have to come up with something different to cook every night. Hilarious and tragic at the same time.And so, what brainstorming really encompasses.

Chapter 33: How to organize a squad to create ideas

Osborn devotes one chapter to explaining brainstorming. In 9 pages, Osborn provides:

The Golden Rules of Brainstorming. Odds are that you are familiar with them. They come in many variations, hereby quoted literally as they appear in the book (Osborn, 1948; p.269):

The spirit of a brainstorm session can make or break it. (Osborn, 1948 p.270). Brainstormers have to feel good about the brainstorming session. This is how you can tell if the brainstorming session went well. That, in combination with the number of ideas that they came up with.

According to Osborn, it is mainly down to rule number 1: [brainstorming] concentrates solely on creative thinking and excludes the discouragement and critisicm which so often cramp imagination. (Osborn, 1948, p.272).Of course, the key question is: is it true what Osborn has written?

By and large, the conclusion is drawn that brainstorming works no better than when people come up with ideas on their own. The reasons for this tend to vary and can be read about all over the Internet. Take advantage of that, but be sure to be critical.As a university staff member, I have access to the scientific articles behind what you read on the Internet. I get incredibly frustrated with the experiments in scientific articles about brainstorming. There is always something wrong with the experiment which prevents any real brainstorming.Case in point.

One of the oldest studies on the workings of brainstorming comes from Yale. Taylor, Berry and Block (1958) researched whether brainstorming facilitated creativity or not. They came to the conclusion that people who brainstormed on their own came up with more and even better ideas.In the experiment, participants were told what brainstorming entails, what the brainstorming rules are, and who they were going to be brainstorming for in this case, the Office of Naval Research. The brainstormers were asked to do their best.Finally, subjects were specially asked to do as well as they could, and it was impressed upon them that the success of the experiment was contingent such effort. (Taylor, et al., 1958).No real brainstorming took place in this experiment for the following reasons:Being told what to do is not the same as being able to do it.First, explaining brainstorming rules to participants does not mean that participants are also able to follow the rules. Osborn does write that basically everyone can brainstorm. In doing so, he goes rather easy on the fact that deferring a judgment is underestimated in terms of how difficult that is to do in practice. More on that later.Additional pressure on participantsSecondly, by giving gravitas to the client and emphasizing that the participants had to do their best. The studies thereby put pressure on the participants. This makes deferring judgment that more difficult.This extra information can cause lead to more peer pressure (as in, oh dear, soon the other participants will think my ideas are stupid). This manifests itself more naturally in a group than when you brainstorm on your own duh.

Thirdly, no attention is given anywhere to the creation of the right kind of spirit in these groups. I call it The Brave Space. The right kind of spirit ensures that participants dare to share their ideas, become enthusiastic and rely on each others energy.

The fourth is that, according to Osborn, 5-10 people is the best number for a brainstorm group. There were four people in a group in the experiment.

Fifthly, the group leader in the experiment had to divide their attention between two groups. In my experience, the quality of your supervision declines when you have multiple groups under your care. After all, you simply cannot hear every rule violation. Of course, my experience is n=1 and I am not going to generalize.ThereforeI think this is a typical example of the research on brainstorming: the experiment is flawed. What was sound in this experiment was the choice of brainstorming topics. They were specific. Nevertheless, we can ask ourselves to what extent there was a real case of brainstorming in the groups and by the individuals in this experiment.This does not mean that I want to show that brainstorming always works and is wonderful. For example, we can ask ourselves if specific questions in our complex society still have any relevance at all. I do want to show that we should be critical of the criticism of brainstorming and not write off brainstorming as a technique that does not work. We learn something very important when we brainstorm.

When you are able to defer judgment, you become better at empathizing, listening and observing. When you are able to defer judgment, you learn to play with ideas without having to necessarily accept them. As I said, this is really not so easy as it may sound. Go ahead and try to defer judgment when the stakes are high. When a lot depends on the outcome. Thats tough! Precisely for situations like this, I dont really need to explain how incredibly important this skill is.Then I have not even touched upon postponing judgment yourself and your own ideas. Perhaps this is even more difficult. When you are able to defer judging your own ideas, a world of imagination will open up to you. Imagination is the first step to change.Applied Imagination is what he titled one of his books. The longer I think about it, the more brilliant I think the title is. Applied Imagination hits the nail on the head, we basically cannot have enough of this.During a brainstorming session, we are made aware of our own (pre)conceptions and are trained to delay making judgments. This is an exercise in all of the above. If this process takes place collectively, it creates a bond with the situation and shared visions can be formed. That seems to me to be extremely useful.Hopefully next time you will approach any brainstorming that you do in a different way.

In a weekly column, alternately written by Willemijn Brouwer, Eveline van Zeeland, Eugne Franken, Helen Kardan, Katleen Gabriels, Carina Weijma, Bernd Maier-Leppla and Colinda de Beer, Innovation Origins tries to figure out what the future will look like. These columnists, sometimes joined by guest bloggers, are all working in their own way to find solutions to the problems of our time. So tomorrow will be good. Here are all the previous articles.

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The value of a good brainstorm and how to make it work next time - Innovation Origins