BINGE WATCHING ADDICTION, PARASOCIAL ATTACHMENT AND NARRATIVE TRANSPORTATION AMONG YOUNG ADULTS: A CORRELATIONAL STUDY

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to explore the relationship between binge-watching addiction, parasocial attachment, and narrative transportation among young adults. The study also examined the predictive role of binge-watching addiction on parasocial attachment and narrative transportation, as well as gender differences across the study variables. A correlational research design was employed. A sample of 271 young adults (18-25 years) was recruited through purposive sampling from various universities in Lahore, Pakistan. A Demographic Information Sheet, the Binge-Watching Addiction Questionnaire (BWAQ) (Forte et al., 2021), the Celebrity Persona Parasocial Interaction Scale (CPPSI) (Bocarnea & Brown, 2007), and the Narrative Transportation Scale (NTS) (Green & Brock, 2000) were used as assessment measures. Pearson product-moment correlation, simple linear regression analysis, and independent-samples t-test were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between binge-watching addiction, parasocial attachment, and narrative transportation among young adults. Binge-watching addiction significantly predicted both parasocial attachment and narrative transportation. However, no significant gender differences were found for binge-watching addiction, parasocial attachment, or narrative transportation. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the psychological effects of excessive binge- watching and highlight the importance of promoting healthy media consumption habits and awareness regarding emotional involvement with fictional characters and immersive media experiences.