Friday Question #107
How much television do you watch a day (on average)? Do you think it is bad for you if you watch too much?
Quite awhile ago, I read about this study that said that happier people watch less television than unhappy people. Based on evaluating 34 years of data related self-rated happiness and media use, on average, the “happier” people watched an hour less of television a day than the “unhappy” people, and spent more time socializing and reading the newspaper (okay, and were “active in religion”). The “happier” people also spent about 15% more time a year with relatives than the “unhappy” group.
I always wonder about these “television” studies. Do they include watching movies? What about time wasted in front of a computer? Because I don’t really spend any time any day watching television (on purpose, Steven usually has it on). I don’t have any shows I like to watch, except for catching Top Gear on On Demand. But I watch* a TON of movies and sometimes spend WAY TOO MUCH TIME on the computer. So, what is the difference? I think it is awful to spend too much time do any one thing that involves sitting on your ass and staring at something.**
Oh, and speaking of television shows, I thought I would share this article (SPOILER ALERT) about the final results of Jamie Oliver’s cafeteria makeover since everyone and their mom is talking about that show.
*Watch = fall asleep during
**The exception is sitting on your ass staring at the ocean
Themocracy
Ah! Do you have trouble staying awake during movies too regardless of how good they are?
If it were just me here, I think I would spend maybe 1/2 hr. watching TV. Then again, that would be because I wouldn’t be paying the crazy amount for cable and wouldn’t have DVR.
That being said, with Chris here we probably watch about 2 hrs on weekdays and much more than that on the weekends. When you’re a sports fanatic there’s always some sport on to watch for 8 hours each on Saturday and Sunday ;). I won’t even get into computer time… I’d like to think without all of it we would be more active as a couple, but in the winter? We would probably just sit and read (not a bad thing, but we would still be sitting on our butts on the couch).
I cannot stay awake during a movie for the life of me anymore, even if it is good! I am just too exhausted all the time.
I didn’t have a tv in college and don’t miss it at all! 😉 Of course, now we have much more…
I agree with you– now that computers have every television show ever, plus loads of other “time wasting” crap, I’d like to see how they measure up in these studies.
I probably watch an hour or two of television a day, depending on the day (and how tired I am when I get home from teaching) 🙂
I fall asleep watching TV way too much…bad habit.
Actually watching TV though, very little. I love the Amazing Race and hardly ever miss it. And my other favorite shows are Cold Case and Army Wives. But if I miss them, it’s whatever.
I think most of my tv watching is college basketball and phillies games. 🙂
I watch way too much tv. I am basically the most active couch potato you will ever meet. With TiVo I can watch so much more in less time! Love Top Gear by the way.
I watch a lot of tv. I watch most of it while I am running on the treadmill. I wonder how that figures in! The kids’ pediatrician always preaches about watching tv and how the kids shouldn’t do it much (they don’t) but I always wonder what his thoughts are on exercising while watching it! I haven’t asked because he used to be my pediatrician so I am still sort of scared of him (in a good way, like I care a lot what he thinks and if he said it wasn’t good I don’t want to have to stop watching while I run so I just don’t ask).
I think I’m a pretty happy person so I do think it is possible to watch a lot of tv and still be happy. But I guess maybe they mean more of the person who sits in front of the tv because they have nothing else going on? Maybe they don’t mean a person who gets so exhausted with real life things that sometimes they turn on the tv, knit and try to relax like I do.
Jinx, Tori! I made the same comment about people watching TV because they don’t have much going on right when you did.
I wonder things like that too. Watching tv on the treadmill probably doesn’t count… but I bet most people don’t do that! I think many people use it as their only form of entertainment, rather than to relax.
I actually love watching TV. I think the quality of the shows has gone up so much starting in the 90s. I probably watch 1-2 hours a night on weeknights. Of course as Anna said with Hulu and Netflix Watch Instantly it’s all kind of blurring… does watching old episodes of the Larry Sanders Show on your computer count? I guess it does.
I do find that I am reading less because I watch TV and play on the computer, and that is something I would like to turn around, since I’m a big reader.
I always wonder about these studies – does watching TV make people unhappy or do people watch a lot of TV because they don’t have much going on in their lives or close family & friends?
I would like to know more about this study, because they said they looked at so much research over so many years, but really… how many years back is relevant? Media is so different now. And I do think watching too much tv can make you unhappy, but you might be watching too much because you don’t have anyone to socialize with like you said 😉
I probably only watch TV maybe 3-4 days a week, for an hour each time? I think this is because a. I have a roommate and have to share the TV that has a DVR, and b. I spent a CRAP ton of time of the computer instead. If I get home at 9 p.m., I’ll fire up the computer and not turn on the TV. Unless it’s Modern Family night!
That is interesting about the Jamie Oliver show. I saw him on Oprah and wondered how well his new program would go over. Maybe it will just take time for kids to get used to the new healthy food?
I hope the kids get used to it! That is what happens to us adults when we go from eating crap to eating healthy. It takes us awhile too 😉
My TV is dead. But I don’t mind. I never watched it anyway. But I do watch Celebrity Rehab online!
You made an interesting point- are the happier people in the study on the computer instead? If you want to know an interesting fact…I learned in my nutrition class that you expend more energy in your SLEEP than you do watching tv (more brain activity)
Really? That is interesting! I never would have guessed that.
I watch tons of TV. Really it is part of my daily life, also I read, and play on the computer. I don’t know that it “affects” my happiness but it also might be because I am not home glued to it 24/7. I fit it in and not fit my life around it. I love Jamie Oliver and think he makes good points that something should be done. However, whether or not it can be a whole food revolution is a high arching goal but I like seeing the little changes!
I agree with you that the computer is really no better – I used to always say that even though I was able to brag that David and I “didn’t have tv” and so I only deliberately watched downloaded shows (i.e. no channel surfing), that I really did the equivalent of channel surfing on the internet. However, you can socialize on the internet so…. maybe it IS better?
I think the socializing portion of the internet does make it better. As long as we all still see people in real life too!
Almost all of my TV viewing is done on my computer, either Hulu, going to the network sites, from iTunes or downloading episodes from those that have recorded them.
I do watch live TV on Monday nights and sometimes on Sunday nights, as well as The Biggest Lose with my wife on Tuesday nights. But daily watching of TV, like the news and just channel surfing, I would say an hour a day is what I average. Add into that the TV shows I watch on my computer would make that another hour a day on the average.
I don’t watch television; something about it makes me feel anxious. I read comments and updates from friends on FB who talk about Idol and other shows, and I think I really don’t want to be drowned or caught up in that stuff. There are so many other exciting and enjoyable things in live to experience. Though, I do love my Netflix subscription, when I have time to watch (which hasn’t been much, lately!). I love your posts, btw.
My reasons for not watching tv are the same as yours… and I find it a waste of time. Like, a HUGE waste of time. We love Netflix too. We just got the CD for our wii so we can watch movies on there too. Pretty cool!
Thanks 🙂
The TV is on in the background most evenings, but I probably only spend 2 hours or so actively watching it per night. I know it is a little too much, but I need a brain break after thinking all day at work!
We definitely watch more during hockey and baseball season, though!
This was a good one…I am cutting back on TV and plan to get rid of it all together before long.
I really don’t watch much TV, not because I don’t have a million things on my DVR worth watching but because I just don’t have the time. I usually fall asleep 1/2 of the way through too!
TV was pretty much my baby sitter growing up, so I did watch and continue to watch quite a bit. I don’t know if it’s bad for everyone, but I don’t think it’s terribly awful for me. I get pretty annoyed when people say TV makes you stupid because I don’t think that’s the case at all. For one, there are lots of factors that go into your level of intelligence. And while I may watch some stuff that is hardly considered high brow (Real Housewives, anyone?), I’ve learned a ton of stuff from other programs. When I was a kid, I was addicted to game shows and learned all sorts of trivia. Thank you, Alex Trebek! 🙂
Steven often says that too – that he learned (learns) a lot from tv, especially cooking shows.
I don’t think it is making everyone smarter though 😉 Especially the children watching crap programming. I really think the shows we watched as a kid were much better than what kids watch now!
i watch probably an hour of strictly TV a day. the issue i have with this, is that i too, feel that computer time, etc. is just as “terrible” as tv time. To that end, i don’t think that tv is terrible at all. i do watch some mindless things, but for the most part, i do think about those shows later and what that tells me, is that it at least makes me think. i watch a show called solitary 4.0 on the fox reality channel. i know a lot of people cannot stomach this show. i think its facinating. i think about it a lot….maybe too much 😉
Some nights when I get home from the gym and sit down to eat dinner we end up in front of the tv for 2 – 2.5 hours. It really is my “down” time most nights. Although, sometimes I’d much rather be doing something like playing a game with my husband it can be hard to do when you’re married to someone with ADD who really does get relaxed by watching tv.
We watch a lot of TV. A lot. And movies. I watch more than my wife does and we both watch quite a bit more than our kids do. I don’t, however, think it affects our happiness. One key thing is whether or not it gets in the way of other activities. For me, I typically don’t let it stop me from participating in other social activities, but it certainly lessens the amount of time I devote to other individual activities.
I actually find that the kids’ school work gets in the way of family activities much more than TV watching does.