New Report Says It's Actually Healthy To Cry At TV Shows

If you’re always getting teased by your nearest and dearest for getting too emotional when you’re watching all the drama, heartbreaks and misfortune on your favorite TV shows, ignore them.

As it happens, it’s actually healthy for you to feel emotionally involved with the television characters you feel connected to.

Feeling attached to your fictional friends on “Grey’s Anatomy” has upsides like getting a boost in self-esteem, feeling less lonely, and even having a sense of belonging, according to psychology experts. And even though these aren’t real friendships, these relationships still have some of the same benefits.

"The interesting thing is that our brains aren't really built to distinguish between whether a relationship is real or fictional," explains Jennifer Barnes, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Oklahoma. "So these friendships can convey a lot of real-world benefits."

And the connection we feel with our TV show “friends” feels even more real because we spend so much time “together.” After spending an hour with this person every week for a whole season, Barnes says “they really do become sort of a friend - so it’s normal to feel upset over them” when something bad happens to that character.

So if you love crying over “This Is Us” - grab your tissues and let those tears roll!


(Woman's Day)


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