New research is showing that watching shows that focus on criminal investigations, life-or-death situations, and/or murder plots can lead viewers to the fridge during commercial breaks. What will they think of next?
This research concludes that watching such programming that kills off characters or puts them in intense, life-threatening schemes reminds viewers of their own "impending mortality" and may cause them to spend more at the grocery store and consume all of what they bought in fear that they may die at any moment, similar to their television alter egos. "Mortality salience" - or knowing that one will die - is not the sole purpose for ordering a pizza during Law and Order, but the knowledge that we are, in fact, mortal can inherently cause us to stock up in case of impending doom.
Whether this is true is unclear and up for debate, but the subconscious connection is there. Viewers may feel tension or anxiety when witnessing traumatic experiences, afraid that they will happen to them. The "you only live once" mantra rings a bell in my ear, especially when I'm holding two pairs of shoes and cannot decide between them. But sometimes we all need distractions from our lives, and television is a free and convenient void filler.
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