A new study has revealed that some people who play video games or watch television after a long day of hard work are likely to feel the guilt of getting indulged in unproductive activities or wasting time. Many studies have showed that media use is a good way to recover after a hard day, but latest findings have suggested that it is only beneficial when people do not see it as the procrastination activity.

Leonard Reinecke, a researcher with the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz in Germany and lead author of the study, said ego-depletion is known as the spent state following a period of self-control to complete a difficult job.

"To get a better understanding of what ego depletion means, it is helpful to think of human willpower in terms of a 'muscle.' Whenever we have to use self-control to resist a temptation or to continue an unpleasant task, the strength of this 'muscle' is depleted", said Reinecke.

The study results showed that people who are more ego-depleted after work or school are the ones with higher likelihood of perceiving their media use as a kind of procrastination. This is a top reason for making them feel guilty about their media use.

These feelings of guilt deprive a person from restorative effects of media use and do not allow to recover after spending a hard day at work.

Reinecke said people need to see media use as a helpful and productive strategy instead of a destructive behavior. Otherwise, watching television or playing videogames after being highly stressed at work will not make them feel more relaxed. Instead, they will be more likely to feel worse about themselves.