Purpose: This study aimed to investigate binge-watching behavior and addiction among a sample of 446 Chinese college students and assess its consequences for mental health, with a particular focus on feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Participants and Methods: We conducted an online survey to gather data, examining participants’ binge-watching habits and preferred platforms. We also utilized regression analysis to assess the impact of binge-watching addiction on mental health, exploring the associations between binge-watching addiction and feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Results: Our findings revealed that the Chinese college students in our study typically defined binge-watching sessions as lasting approximately 7.22 hours, with an average of 10.83 episodes. Regarding the self-assessment of binge-watching, the average duration of participants was 5.76 hours, and the average number of episodes was 7.42. Tencent Video, iQIYI, and Bilibili emerged as the dominant platforms for binge-watching among the respondents. Regression analysis demonstrated a significant link between binge-watching addiction and mental health, with positive associations observed between binge-watching addiction and increased feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Conclusion: The results of this study reinforce previous findings regarding the detrimental effects of excessive media consumption on mental well-being. Moreover, they provide valuable insights into the global prevalence of binge-watching and its impact on the psychological health of young adults in the digital age, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to address this issue.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the television (TV) consumption patterns (viewing behavior and motivation) of older adults in Wuhan, China, during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on older adults’ mental health, particularly in relation to COVID-19-induced fear. Participants and Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted with 405 older adults in Wuhan, China. The data were analyzed using a structural equation model to understand the relationship between TV viewing behavior, motivation, and fear related to COVID-19. Results: The findings indicate that the motivation to watch TV has a positive influence on viewing behavior among older adults during the pandemic. However, this motivation negatively impacts their COVID-19-related fear. Furthermore, a negative correlation was observed between viewing behavior and fear. The primary motivations for TV viewing among older adults during the pandemic were identified as social interaction and emotion management, followed by information seeking and value expression. Conclusion: The findings suggest that TV viewing plays a significant role in the mental well-being of older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. By addressing the motivations of social interaction, emotion management, information seeking, and value expression, public health organizations and TV stations can contribute to the mental health of this vulnerable population.

Objective: Problematic micro-drama use (PMDU) has received increasing attention as micro-dramas have become widely consumed among young adults in China. This study examined the associations between academic stress and PMDU among Chinese university students, explored which dimensions of academic stress were uniquely associated with PMDU, and examined the associations between PMDU and loneliness, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among 510 Chinese university students. Participants completed measures of academic stress, PMDU, loneliness, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted while controlling for gender and age. The Benjamini–Hochberg false discovery rate (FDR) procedure was applied to relevant families of multiple tests. Results: Higher academic stress was associated with greater PMDU (β = .447, p < .001). Among the five dimensions of academic stress, learning effectiveness pressure remained significantly associated with PMDU after correction for multiple comparisons (β = .292, FDR-adjusted p < .001), whereas the other dimensions did not show statistically significant unique associations after correction. PMDU was positively associated with loneliness (β = .331), depressive symptoms (β = .323), and anxiety symptoms (β = .305), and all three associations remained significant after FDR correction (all FDR-adjusted p < .001). Conclusions: Academic stress, particularly stress related to perceived learning effectiveness, was associated with greater problematic micro-drama use among Chinese university students. Higher PMDU was also associated with greater loneliness, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms. These findings identify PMDU as a media-use behavior relevant to both academic stress and psychological well-being, although the cross-sectional design does not establish the direction of these associations.