What are the psychological benefits of binge-watching a drama or anime or reading a book?

' Binge-watching ,' or the act of watching a TV series in one go, or reading a novel in one sitting, is often considered a bad habit that wastes time, and some say that binge-watching makes the content seem boring. However, research from the University of Georgia in the United States has shown that binge-watching or binge-reading can strengthen memories of the work and may lead to a state in which the story world continues to expand and play in your mind even after you've finished watching.

Watching one more episode and reading one more chapter: What entertainment contexts lead to retrospective imaginative involvement? - ScienceDirect
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825004147

New study suggests binge-watching and marathon reading may have hidden psychological benefits
https://www.psypost.org/new-study-suggests-binge-watching-and-marathon-reading-may-have-hidden-psychological-benefits/

Joshua Baldwin, a researcher in advertising and public relations at the University of Georgia, and his colleagues investigated how binge-watching a TV show or movie, or reading a book in one go, affects people's psychological state after finishing the work.

The focus of their research is on the state of mind after watching or reading a work, where people ruminate over the story, fill in missing scenes, or imagine different developments. Baldwin and his colleagues call this state 'retrospective imaginative involvement,' abbreviated as 'RII' (from 'Retrospective Imaginative Involvement').

Baldwin and his colleagues conducted two surveys of undergraduate students.

In the first survey, 303 people recruited online from two Midwestern universities were asked to choose TV shows, movies, and books that left an impression on them and those that did not. They were then asked about their choices. Specifically, they were asked about their motivations for watching or reading, how long they watched or read at one time, the degree to which they found the works 'enjoyable,' whether they perceived them as emotionally complex and thought-provoking, their stress levels, how they spend their leisure time, and their level of RII.

The second study involved 237 people and retested the procedure with some modifications.

The analysis showed that works that were ranked as more memorable were more likely to experience RII after watching or reading them, Baldwin and his colleagues reported. Furthermore, for television programs, the more episodes watched in succession, the more likely RII occurred. It was also suggested that the longer a book was read in succession, the more likely RII occurred. However, the strength of this association varied across studies; the first study did not find a clear association, while the second study confirmed some association with RII.

Regarding movies, it seems that there was no indicator to measure 'how long people watched at one time,' perhaps because viewing is often completed in one sitting.

Motivations for viewing and reading were also related to RII. Baldwin et al. reported that motives such as 'wanting to experience something beyond my everyday self through a story' and 'wanting to broaden my horizons' predicted RII more strongly than motives for escaping reality. On the other hand, escapist motivations tended to be associated with RII in the form of direct recall of the events in a work.

The shape of RII can also change depending on how the work is perceived. Baldwin and his colleagues stated that works that people perceived as casual and 'fun' tended to lead to a straightforward recall of events, while works that people perceived as 'deep' were more likely to lead to more active imaginations that rearranged the story, such as supplementing background settings or considering alternative routes.

The results of the study regarding the relationship between stress and RII were inconsistent. One study found that people with high stress levels were less likely to experience RII, while the second study failed to confirm this association.

Baldwin and his colleagues argue that binge-watching a film may help people grasp the connections between stories and form a 'world map' that organizes characters, events, and the worldview in their minds. Once such a map is formed, they argue, it becomes easier to use memories to expand the imagination even when not watching the film, which may help people cope with daily stressors and improve their mood.

Baldwin and his colleagues point out that limitations of this study include the fact that it did not directly measure whether RII actually increases recovery or well-being, and that participants were limited to undergraduate students.