Research into media use as a stress reliever (full text) has found that in some cases watching TV or playing video games as a means to relax or recover, had high levels of guilt and feelings of failure afterwards. This in turn meant that the user had a lower level of recovery because of the guilt, and this was seen more in individuals who were particularly fatigued (so those who would benefit from media use as a stress reliever got less benefit from doing so).
In combination with previous work on media-induced recovery, this study suggests that entertaining media use after phases of exertion may result in two different appraisal processes: Individuals may perceive entertaining media use either as a legitimate activity, a deserved reward after a hard working day resulting in recovery, or as a failure of self-control and a lack of resistance toward their desire for media use resulting in feelings of guilt. The processes that guide media users onto those two routes of appraisal, however, remain unknown. In summary, these open questions demonstrate that the search for further variables that explain when and why (ego-depleted) media users feel guilty about their media use is an important task for future research.
Overall, the present study on "the guilty couch potato" furthers our understanding of the complexity of the interplay of appraisal processes, entertaining media use, and well-being. It reveals preconditions and mechanisms central to the positive psychological potential of media entertainment. Further explicating these mechanisms and addressing the open questions outlined above appears to be a promising endeavor for future research.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 31 2014, @03:44AM
I watch Red tube [redtube.com] to relax. Works for me just fine.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by shortscreen on Thursday July 31 2014, @06:16AM
Porn is just as good a way to waste time as video games or TV. In fact, TV advertisements are probably more insulting to one's intelligence.
And with video games, there is the risk of losing horribly and rage quitting. Like I just want to lay here and play HOMM3 all day but the computer's heroes are going to be dicks and cast blind every turn of every battle so fuck it, now I might have to get up and do something.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 31 2014, @09:40AM
To clarify, I was not trolling. Just a simple statement of how I relax.
(Score: 1) by pkrasimirov on Thursday July 31 2014, @11:08AM
I also agree, not troll.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by nitehawk214 on Thursday July 31 2014, @01:58PM
Why is parent marked troll?
Simple, the religious right wants people to feel guilty after masturbating, instead of feeling relieved. I pity those people.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 4, Informative) by nyder on Thursday July 31 2014, @04:05AM
All I pretty much do is play video games. Don't work, don't volunteer, don't do much other then play video games.
I do not feel the slightest bit guilty about it.
But then I'm disabled and have really nothing else to do, so I get to do what I enjoy.
Sucks to feel guilty about having fun.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Kell on Thursday July 31 2014, @06:30AM
I agree - it's this puritan mindset that frowns on anyone who enjoys what they do, no matter what it is: video games, tv, sex, eating, gambling, alcohol, whatever. As long as what you do doesn't become deleterious to the rest of your life, what's the problem?
We really need to break this mental hangover idea that fun = bad.
Scientists ask questions. Engineers solve problems.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Ethanol-fueled on Thursday July 31 2014, @01:23PM
I don't think the guilt issue is about fun, it's about consuming media as a substitute for real accomplishment.
It's the same kind of guilt you get waking up from sleeping half the day away after an unremarkable drinking the night before. Or coming home from work and being too tired so you watch T.V. instead of practice your musical instrument, learn a new foreign language, catch up with friends, implement your latest neat code idea, etc.
It's the kind of problem that easily compounds, so that you fall into those habits day after day and feel worse and worse about it, because you start to feel stagnant and dead inside. At least with a good game you feel a sense of accomplishment. But I can see passively consuming T.V. and Movies could lead to guilt and, eventually, depression.
(Score: 1) by GeminiDomino on Thursday July 31 2014, @06:17PM
I don't think the guilt issue is about fun, it's about consuming media as a substitute for real accomplishment.
I've been starting to feel this way myself, lately. I don't know if it's the geek version of a midlife crisis (thought I had a few more years before that) or what, but for the past couple of months I can't fire up Minecraft and play instead of doing server-adminny things, or any of my GoG games without feeling like I need to shut that shit down and work late.
It kinda sucks...
"We've been attacked by the intelligent, educated segment of our culture"
(Score: 4, Interesting) by RaffArundel on Thursday July 31 2014, @01:58PM
Actually, I don't think the paper applies to you. IANAS (I am not a shrink) but the question explored appears to be "in ego-depleted individuals, what happens when they engage in non-challenging vs. challenging media consumption" and the answer provided is - when consuming non-challenging media to unwind they are more likely to feel guilty about it.
Here is the quote supporting my layman opinion:
So, while I may be missing something, it sounds like they are saying consuming challenging media of any type is rewarding to individuals. Ego-depleted people (which you can think of as emotionally/rationally exhausted) seek out non-challenging media, and therefore feel guilty about the consumption (think "wasted time" guilt) so it has a negative effect. Non-challenging video games appear to have the same effect as other media, so the important part is not the medium but the content - and in my mind the activity of the individual consuming the media. Hard to understand these types of studies in a vacuum, but I get the impression they were rebutting the "ALL MEDIA BAD!!" concept, which seems to me stupid from empirical evidence.
* I freely admit I had to look up the work - it means happiness - so we are talking about the ability to feel good about what we do and who we are.