Winding-up Your Day In front of TV can Make Feel Guilty: Study

Watching television after a hectic day at work can make you feel guilty, finds a study.

After a tough day at work, many people prefer unwinding in front of the television watching their favorite series and soaps. But, a new research by the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany and University of Amsterdam in Netherlands suggests it might be a bad idea and can make people feel more anxious and stressed. The experts interviewed 471 participants about their state of mind after spending time before the TV, computer and other media, reports the Telegraph.

It was observed many subjects who returned home tired and exhausted mostly watched TV or played computer games. These individuals reported postponing important tasks and activities. This made them feel guilty about procrastinating and less rejuvenated after a long day, thereby diminishing the utility of media.

The findings contradict past researches that propose media usages are beneficial in producing a 'recovery experience' and helps people to relieve stress and relax after a day of monotonous work.  In the current trial, the subjects experienced lower recovery indicating their failure to have self-control.

"We are beginning to better understand that media use can have beneficial effects for people's well-being, through media-induced recovery," said Leonard Reinecke, study co-author and researcher at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, reports the Independent.

"Our present study is an important step towards a deeper understanding of this. It demonstrates that in the real life, the relationship between media use and well-being is complicated and that the use of media may conflict with other, less pleasurable but more important duties and goals in everyday life," he adds,

Media and digital devices like smartphones and notepads are addictive and cause more stress than relaxation. The authors, therefore, urge people to indulge in healthy activities like meditation, exercising and aerobics after returning home from work instead of being a couch potato.

More information is available online in the Journal of Communication.