Do Happy People Watch TV?
November 25, 2008 by Peggy Rowland
Filed under Women's Health
After you watch a TV show, how do you feel?
I sometimes get the sense I just wasted 30 minutes to an hour or more. However, while I’m watching “The Big Bang Theory” or “Two and a Half Men,” I don’t have to think about anything or solve any problems. Perhaps it’s brain rest. . . . And I do get a few laughs too.
Could I do something more useful with that time? Of course! Will I? Hmmm.
I think I watch TV in moderation enough to be safe. There aren’t many shows I actually like anyway.
But what happens when you have too much time on your hands and you use TV as an escape?
A new study by University of Maryland sociologists found that unhappy people watch more TV!
According to the study, time spent watching TV might contribute to a viewers’ bliss in the moment, but with less positive effects in the long run. People who socialize and read instead were found to be more happy.
Based on time-use surveys in the study, TV viewing may increase dramatically as the economy gets worse. I can only assume that’s due to layoffs and the need to escape thoughts of money issues.
Do you believe that you watch more TV when you’re unhappy?
Read more: This study may be found in the December issue of Social Indicators Research.
Image via Newscom. Used with permission. Pictured: Jim Parsons (left) and Johnny Galecki in CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory.”
I’m one of those “too much time” people. My TV died last Monday, and I couldn’t replace it ’til Sunday. I was exceedingly unhappy during that stretch of time, because the TV helps me sleep. And it helps me do so nightmare-free.
Did the research conclude that TV makes people unhappy, that unhappy people watch more TV, or only that there was a correlation between unhappiness and TV viewing?
Hi Sam. I need to update my bookmarks. Last time I tried to visit your site, I couldn’t. Looks like a new url.
The study concluded that unhappy people watch more TV. They didn’t go all out to say that watching TV makes you unhappy, but they did mention that it could compromise long-term happiness for the sake of being happy in the moment. For instance, if you should be doing something else with your time besides watching TV you won’t be very happy with yourself.
Thanks for the extra info, Peggy! And, yeah, I’ve been in a state of site-flux for months, now.