Netflix is the new Scheherazade! Exploring the relationships between online binge-watching, self-control, and bedtime procrastination among college students in Iran

Online binge-watching is a common practice nowadays. It is defined as watching multiple episodes in one sitting. It may seem a new phenomenon, but the same mechanism happened to the Persian King and kept him listening to Scheherazade's stories for 1001 nights, which made him forgot about killing young virgin girls and also delayed his bedtime. This study aims to investigate the relationships between these variables in Iranian college students in Ghazvin with a sample of 133 people between the ages of 19 and 25 using brief self-control scale (BSCS), bedtime procrastination scale (BPS), and binge-watching addiction questionnaire (BWAQ). The research indicates that there is a notable negative correlation between online binge-watching and self-control (r = -.443, p < .001). Also, a negative relationship between self-control and bedtime procrastination was found (r = -.360, p < .001). Further, a positive correlation between online binge-watching and bedtime procrastination was detected (r = .307, p < .001). The problematic binge-watching can be identified by the motives and cognitive processes underlying this phenomenon, such as narrative transportation. Ways to prevent mental illness caused by them and future research paths are discussed.