Authors - Dhanyashree S, Keshav S, Deepak Gupta, Shobhana Palat Madhavan Abstract - This study investigates a chain reaction triggered by cliffhangers in media consumption, focusing on their role in driving binge-watching, self-regulatory depletion, binge-eating, and reduced mental well-being. Grounded in Self-Regulatory Depletion Theory, a sequential mediation model is proposed and analyzed through serial mediation regression. Data from 170 Indian respondents revealed that cliffhangers significantly predicted binge-watching, which in turn increased self-regulatory depletion. Depletion heightened binge-eating tendencies, and binge-eating negatively impacted mental well-being. Bootstrapped mediation confirmed an indirect pathway from cliffhangers to reduced mental well-being via binge-watching and self-regulatory depletion. These findings underscore the ethical responsibility of streaming platforms to mitigate compulsive viewing and highlight interventions for mindful consumption.
