According to a recent survey conducted by Self Financial, people rely heavily on streaming services to help them cope with the coronavirus pandemic. Specifically, the survey found that one in five Americans resort to platforms like Netflix and Disney Plus to help them get through trying times.
Self Financial’s findings shouldn’t come as much of a surprise considering that, when government institutions are strongly advising people to stay inside their homes, digital entertainment is one of the easiest and most appealing forms of a pastime at someone’s disposal.
The survey asked a sample of a thousand Americans about the ways in which they try to promote their mental wellbeing, as well as the finances involved in doing so. On average, people said they spend around $287 a month on mental health through both direct and indirect means.
Some of the most common things that folks spend their money on include television and streaming services (51.5%), socializing with others (48%), music (44%) and food (43%). These, of course, constitute the indirect means by which people aim to protect their mental health. Direct measures, by contrast, include counselling (72%), apps (24%) and sports (19%).
Self Financial’s study is not the only one that suggests entertainment may be able to get people through periods of crisis, of course. Recently, one study conducted by the University of Chicago found that watching horror movies might also help a person cope with the stress and anxiety produced by the coronavirus pandemic.
While streaming services may help people deal for the time being, however, they do not solve each and every problem. Of all those surveyed, as many as 81.3% said that their mental health will definitely improve once the pandemic is over, indicating that there are issues that even companies like Netflix and Disney+ cannot fix.