Why you shouldn't binge-watch your favourite TV shows

Actors Courteney Cox Arquette (L), Jennifer Aniston (C) and Matthew Perry watching TV. Photo / Getty

For many, there's no better way to relax than by watching a whole TV series in one go. Or is there?

Yes, say scientists, who have found that watching one episode after another leaves people less satisfied - and unable to remember what happened.

In fact, the researchers predicted that it may actually 'drive viewers away from future programmes'.

Vintage illustration of three generations of an American family basking in the glow of a television, 1956. Photo / Getty

Binge-watching is quickly becoming the normal way to view a TV series, with ten million Britons admitting to skipping sleep just to watch a show.

To test the effect that watching a series all at once has on viewers, Australian researchers from the University of Melbourne split 51 students into three groups to watch a six-part TV series at different frequencies.

The first saw it on a weekly basis, the second daily and the third watched all six hours at once.

The results showed that binge watchers remembered the most the day after seeing the show - but could remember the least over a longer time. Weekly viewers showed the weakest memory after 24 hours but the best memory of the programme long-term.

However, when it came to enjoyment, binge-watchers liked the programme 'significantly less' than those who watched it on a weekly or daily basis.

A family watching a boxing match on television in their home, circa 1950. Photo / Getty

Overall, those who watched the series daily reported the greatest amount of enjoyment over time.

The research, published in the journal First Monday, stated: 'Binge watching may affect both sustained memory of viewed content and self-reported show enjoyment levels.

'This raises important questions for digital on-demand programme distributors concerning the balance between user preference and product satisfaction.'