Waiting for weekend to binge watch Netflix? You may have a ‘mean world’ syndrome

New York: If you wait for the weekend to watch multiple episodes of the popular Netflix shows that portray violence, chances are you may see the world as meaner than it really is – a phenomenon known as “mean world syndrome”, suggests new research.

For the study, the researchers from Boston University College of Communication looked at five most commonly binge-watched online TV series – all of which were Netflix original shows: House of Cards, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Marco Polo, Bloodline and Daredevil.

They catalogued the instances of violence in each show, including frequency, nature, justification, and perpetrator and target characteristics. The researchers found violence in the top-streamed shows was very prevalent, graphic and intentional.