Joe Oliveto has over a decade of experience covering tech, physical media, and entertainment. His work has appeared in such digital publications as HuffPost, Thrillist, Yahoo!, Time, Elite Daily, Cracked, and numerous others. Along with collecting physical media, his hobbies include hiking, reading, going to concerts, and attending repertory film screenings throughout NYC.
As a fan of physical media, I'm well aware of the advantages it offers over digital downloads and streaming content. There's even research to suggest that you might enjoy content more thoroughly when you consume it in a physical media format.
This got me wondering: Is it possible that watching discs, reading paper books, and listening to vinyl records is actually better for your cognitive and mental health than digital alternatives are?
In this day and age, few among us are unaware of the ways constantly being connected through digital devices interferes with our ability to concentrate or even truly relax. Could we be experiencing similar consequences of engaging with movies, music, and literature through digital formats?
And, if so, could physical media represent an opportunity to reclaim at least some of our lost attention? Let's dive into the research.
Studies show that binge-watching is bad for mental wellness
Binge-watching is associated with a range of mental health issues
It's easy to understand how binge-watching a TV show can lead to physical health problems. Being sedentary for multiple long stretches of time can have some unwanted cumulative effects.
Unfortunately, research has also demonstrated a link between binge-watching content and experiencing various mental health struggles. These include stress, anxiety, and sleep issues.
The research into this topic is still fairly new. As such, those conducting said research don't know exactly why binge-watching is associated with mental health problems. They put forth a range of explanations, all of which may be true to a degree. For instance, binge-watching may cause someone to postpone sleep, which can snowball into increasingly significant mental wellness difficulties. In other cases, people might use binge-watching as a way of avoiding dealing with real concerns or practical matters. On top of that, some viewers might simply feel ashamed after "wasting time" binging content, which can cause or exacerbate mental health woes.
Regardless, it's worth noting that physical media doesn't promote binging content the same way streaming platforms do. When you finish watching a movie on a disc, the movie is over. The same is true of an album or a book in a physical format.
It's possible these formats can guard against binging by giving us the chance to step back and decide if we want to continue watching/listening to/reading something new, or if we want to shift gears. That can potentially make a big difference in our overall mental well-being.
You may retain information better reading paper books
The brain learns better when reading from printed books
It's important to remember that printed books also count as physical media. As much as we celebrate DVDs, Blu-rays, and vinyl albums here, in the era of e-readers, physical media fans should also be certain to champion the printed word.
This is particularly true when you consider how books demonstrate the superiority of physical media over digital. Specifically, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of various studies and determined that reading from a paper book promotes greater comprehension than reading from a screen. This effect is especially pronounced when someone is reading under a time constraint, or when the content they're reading is informational in nature.
This is another instance in which researchers have yet to determine the specific cause of a given effect. It's possible that the human brain has already adapted to subconsciously associate screens with distractions. When reading text on a screen, your brain might not be primed to pay attention. Reading from a paper book, on the other hand, allows for a greater degree of focus.
Physical formats may allow for more intentional engagement
The ritual of physical media affects how we experience the content
Not all physical media fans are the same. The reasons I have for preferring physical formats may not be the same as someone else's. That said, there are a few points many of us physical media nerds make when explaining our appreciation for discs, vinyl, and printed books. A common example is "the ritual." Unlike streaming, which involves scrolling to a title and pressing a button, watching a disc or listening to a record involves multiple steps that add up to an entire ritualistic process.
Researchers have found this element is one of the key reasons some classical music fans choose to listen to music on vinyl instead of through other formats. The research also shows that this sense of ritual may contribute to a greater sense of intentional engagement with the music. It's possible this effect would also play out when engaging with other forms of physical media.
Engaging with content more intentionally allows for deeper enjoyment and appreciation. This can boost the positive mental health effects someone may experience as a result of watching a beloved film, listening to a favorite piece of music, or reading a great book.
As you've likely guessed, not too many scholars have conducted any studies on the specific relationship between being a physical media fan and avoiding some of the negative mental health effects of our digital society. Regardless, adjacent research allows us to put together a fairly compelling argument. We already know physical media offers numerous benefits. The fact that it might be a healthier way to consume content is potentially an added bonus.