Do Unhappy People Watch More TV?
As I gear up for tonight’s episode of Prison Break, now seems as good a time as any to nod in the direction of the research I kept bumping into this weekend regarding happy people vs. unhappy people when it comes to watching television.
The article I read all the way through was Science Daily’s Watching Television, Channeling Unhappiness?, which discusses researchers from the University of Maryland and the studies they conducted for over 30 years. I recommend reading the article (it’s not that long), but the entire thing is summed up near the top:
Examining the activity patterns of happy and less happy people in the General Social Survey (GSS) between 1975 and 2006, the authors found that happy people were more socially active, attended more religious services, voted more and read more newspapers. In contrast, unhappy people watched significantly more television in their spare time.
and near the bottom:
What remains unclear is whether happiness leads to lower viewing or more viewing leads to unhappiness.
I watch a lot of TV. Prison Break, Dirty Sexy Money, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Brothers & Sisters - these rank among the shows I do not miss each week. Period. Fringe, Life on Mars, Private Practice, Family Guy - these rank among the shows I try my best not to miss.
I even scour the Internet each week looking for uploaded episodes of Friday Night Lights, because I don’t have Direct TV and just don’t think I can wait until January when NBC starts airing them.
And, these aren’t shows I watch during my “spare time.” These are shows for which I bust my tail to create “spare time.” Or, simply drop what I’m doing and go watch them. So, happiness and unhappiness aside, I think for me it’s simply a matter of being quite invested in these shows. Though, I’d be lying if I said they didn’t provide a much-needed mental break from the rest of life.
I’m not the happiest person in the world. I have issues. I have issues with myself, my career, my personal life - I have issues. Am I investing in so many TV shows because I’m unhappy? Would I be a happier person if I watched less television? Or, if something in my life changed to make me happier, would I be driven to watch less television?
Do these researchers actually think any amount of happiness would make me give up Wentworth Miller and Prison Break each week?
I don’t know.
What do you think? How does your level of happiness or unhappiness compare to your TV viewing habits? Do you think the two are related, and if so, in what way?
POSTED IN: Mental Health Notes
4 opinions for Do Unhappy People Watch More TV?
Cherie
Nov 17, 2008 at 7:40 pm
I’m happy as a clam and I love TV! haha. My hubby and I both do. We sit and talk about all “our shows” and it’s fun. We also socialize a lot and feel blest to have a happy home.
I think it just depends on the person!
Alicia Sparks, Mental Health Notes
Nov 19, 2008 at 12:46 am
@ Cherie - Yeah, I agree. I definitely think it depends on the person. I admit that I’ve felt like I’ve had more to “look forward to” during the TV season, but honestly I think it’s just because I enjoy “my shows,” lol.
Saturday Sanity: Is It Too Early To Build Snowmen?
Nov 22, 2008 at 7:39 am
[...] week at Mental Health Notes, I talked about a new study about the television viewing habits of unhappy people, commented on two legal situations involving mental health issues (the older Tammy Lewis case, and [...]
Tamar Chansky
Nov 22, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Doesn’t research often conclude what our mothers would say, or grandmothers would have said, namely: everything in moderation!
I am a “happiness” therapist for kids and families, well actually a cognitive behavior therapist for kids with anxiety, OCD and depression. They key to happiness is not money, houses, tv watching : ), but rather– meaningful engagement in life! I talk about these ideas in my new book, Freeing Your Child from Negative Thinking: Powerful, Practical Strategies to Build a Lifetime of Resilience, Flexibility and Happiness. We need to encourage kids early on to be following THEIR bliss, or what is a meaningful way that they can find satisfaction and contribute to the world. To read more, you can look at http://www.freeingyourchild.com.
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