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Writer's pictureShagun Sharma

How Watching Movies Can Benefit Our Mental Health?


What do you do at the weekends? I prefer to watch movies with my friends and family members. Whether you go watch something on a big screen in a theatre or turn the TV at home to Netflix, watching and reading always helps your mental health in various ways.


Movies are usually associated with fun, joy and entertainment and it has been entertaining us since the advent of it. While watching the movie, all the stress and busy schedule are kept aside to make your mind fresh. But the fact cannot be ignored that every coin has two faces of life. It all depends on you that how much importance should be given to which film.


It should also be taken into consideration which movie is harmful or beneficial. However, movies make changes in your lives either in a good or a bad way. It should be considered that the advantages and disadvantages of movies depend upon you.


It is a kind of a mixed bag, with both benefits and downsides. So, you should choose the movies wisely cause it impacts your thought process. Do you know certain advantages and disadvantages of movies? Let's deep dive into that.


Table Contents


Here what I will cover in my article:








#1. What is Cinema Therapy?


Do you know what is Cinema Therapy?


Cinema therapy is a real thing sometimes prescribed by therapists. However, it’s usually a self-administered opportunity to do interventional work by yourself. Cinema therapy is the process of using movies made for the big screen or television for therapeutic purposes.


For the self-helper, books with names like Rent Two Films and Let’s Talk in the Morning and Reel Therapy, are available. These two books are just phenomenal.


The idea is that movies can change the way you think, feel, and ultimately deal with life’s ups and downs. So, movies are a great way to learn new things.


#2. What are the benefits of watching movies?


Watching a movie can often be something that many of us look forward to, it allows you to relax, disconnect and have a good time.


When you watch a movie, you experience different emotions without suffering the real-life side effects. It helps you to relax, decrease anxiety, inspire motivation and can even give you energy for real life!


Let's see some of the advantages of watching movies:


1. Relieves Stress


These days, there are ways you can enjoy movies without necessarily stepping into movie theatres. Haha! Yes, you heard it right.


You can now relax and enjoy your movie from the comfort of your own home. Viewing movies can present an awesome opportunity to relieve stress from our lives. It also has been medically proven that stress is caused by a continuous buildup of tension within a person and without a way to relieve it, then stress is inevitable.


One of the best ways to relieve the buildup of tension is through watching movies. By the way how many movies do you watch in a year? I watch eight to nine in one year and it is really stress-relieving.


2. Provides Laughs And Bonding Time


Have you ever laughed your heart out while watching a movie? It can be among some of the very rare moments when a good uninhibited laugh comes freely. Well, that’s what a good comedy movie can do for you.


It is as much a way to lighten the mood as it is a way to bond. A night with friends watching great comedy films can build memories and help you grow closer with friends. Aha! What a feeling!


3. Provides Encouragement


Watching movies can actually spark drive into your life. Watching normal people change into heroes during the story can inspire or encourage you to do the same in your daily life. You realize that regular people like you and I are also capable of great things in life.


4. Increases Awareness And Social Skills.


When you watch a movie, which has some depiction of sociality, politics, economics, psychology, racism, or ethnicity, you can learn so many different things and can experience an increased awareness that you perhaps never thought about.


Young ones can learn social skills that include problem-solving, sharing, and sensitivity from watching movies. When exposed to seeing these new ideas and watching different cultural differences in film, it can help kids make new friends.


5. Movies encourage emotional release


When watching the happenings on a screen, a person may end up sobbing, laughing hysterically, or showing emotions freely which they might not feel comfortable doing on their own. This can have a cathartic effect and can also get them more accustomed to expressing emotion. Doing so can be an important precursor or accompaniment to being able to open up in counselling or real life.


One common symptom of depression is a kind of emotional numbness. A movie can help a person start to open up and feel emotions again. Aha! Isn't this is amazing. Like there are so many advantages of watching movies.


But, as you know that everything in this universe has advantages and disadvantages both. So, let's see what are its disadvantages.


#3. What are some disadvantages of watching movies?


For me here is the one reason for the disadvantage of a movie. Some of the disadvantage of watching movies come from the fact they are often an unrealistic portrayal of life. We like movies to have a ‘happily ever after ending but in reality, this does not always happen.


In movies, the good guy always wins and the bad guy has to pay for their crimes, but we know this is not always how the world works.


Another disadvantage is the fact that people often spend a lot of their lives watching movies but there is no substitute for getting out there and living life. Some people spend too much time in the fantasy world of a movie when they should be facing reality.


Some disadvantages of a movie:


1. Movies that show violence


Some of the movies that show violence are not applicable to children of 18yrs. old below because when the violence that is shown in the movie there is a chance to role-play that movie and do that to others which is dangerous.


2. Movies made for profit


Some of the moviemaker they say to the public that their movie is for profit or charity, they only use the word “charity” just to earn a huge amount of money instead they give that money to the charity.


3. Misleading concept


Youths of today’s society are very prone to get diverted. Most of the time films display such styles and habits which divert youngsters to commit theft, murder, crime, violent fights and also to adopt bad things such as smoking, drinking etc.


So, it's important to choose wisely which movie to watch.


#4. What are some of my favourite films I have watched till now?


I watch very fewer films as compared to my friends. But, the movies that I have watched has taught me a lot of great lessons in life. Do you wanna know my favourite movies? If yes, then the list goes like this:


1. Thappad

2. Drishyam 2

3. Gully Boy

4. The Dark Knight

5. Dangal

6. Monster House

7. Sanju

8. 3 Idiots


These are some of my favourite movies that I have till now watched and you know what, some movies I have watched thrice or even five times. Aha! Really watching movies is a great way to relieve stress.


#5. CONCLUSION


With today's fast-paced life, you can become so busy and feel stressed, taking very little time to enjoy moments and make memories memorable.


Entertainment, time with friends and enjoying is a simple way to relieve stress are just some of the reasons that watching movies is worth the time. So, just take a cup of popcorn with you and enjoy the film. By the way, don't forget to tell your favourite movies in the comments below.


Thanks for reading it till the end. Hope you find this blog post helpful.


If you liked it then do leave your valuable thoughts in the comments below.

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