I read a great
article in the Times about what kinds of activities happy people engage in. Happy people socialize, go to church, and read the paper. Those things make sense, though alas, I am not religious and thus somewhat fear my level of happiness. Perhaps a better way to think about it is happy people are on some level spiritual. I'll definitely give myself that.
I don't read the paper much, but I do read, so I'll give myself that one too.
The surprising point of the study is that there was one activity unique to unhappy people, and that is watching a lot of television. Watching TV was the one activity unhappy people did far more of and happy people did far less of.
Does this make sense?
The study explained that TV is a good proxy for employment. Obviously, if you work less or not at all, you have more time to watch TV. But what about if you're a student? Are students innately more unhappy than adults?
I always thought it was the other way around. I thought about it some more, and I usually end up watching TV with my friends, or at least discussing the shows with my friends afterwards. As I went to college, I guess I did watch less TV.
Perhaps it all comes down to being alone versus being with other people. Are people naturally happier in groups?
Why do you think unhappy people watch more TV than happy people do? How much TV do you watch?
Comments (45)
I think unhappy people watch tv because they can get lost in it. They can 'live' the lives of the characters without facing their own life. It is a good escape.
I wonder if the type of shows people watch is also different. In some of my more depressed stages of life I watched more drama type shows. Now when I do watch tv, it is usually History channel.
Really interesting study....
(B*tch time...) do you know why they're unhappy? Because they're lazy and have nothing worthwhile in their lives. I enjoy tv, but I don't center my life around it. As my grandmother put it "I watch it because it shows how crazy people can be", as if you really needed more reassurance that people have issues...
They use it as an escape from their otherwise pointless and unproductive lives.
I used to watch alot of TV. . . . not because I was sad, but because I was bored. I watch far less now, but when I do, I'm generally happy. It's a bunch of crock to say that people watch TV because they're unhappy. It's like saying people eat because they're unhappy. Or tall people are more likely to get hurt.
TV, and media in general, is usually a substitute for relationships for me. I LOVE movies, but if I'm surrounded by healthy relationships and don't have time for them, that's ok. They can go on the back burner and I don't care.
If I'm lonely, I will probably watch more tv. It's true, and it makes sense to me.
i am a tv addict but i am not unhappy...i dont think this study makes any sense because some people enjoy tv, some people dont...and also not all lonely people watch tv
Oh, god, way to ignore the extraneous variable: income!
I didn't watch much TV before I went to college, and I don't watch much TV now. I guess that makes me a happy person?
I find now, though, that watching movies and TV is more of a depressing act than anything else. The people I am currently surrounded with refuse to critically analyze what is going on and when they do, they refuse to accept(or even acknowledge) any other viewpoints.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that my media interests are not caused by depression or sadness or loneliness, but those symptoms are triggered by my media interests.
i think there are way too many lurking variables that the study is not looking at. and it sounds like a correlational study, showing there is a relationship between unhappiness and tv watching. so it's kind of jumping the gun to say "if you watch a lot of tv you're unhappy", because correlation does not prove causation. sooo basically i think the study has interesting findings, but needs to be further investigated before automatically assuming that only unhappy people watch tv. that sounds silly.
I think this is silly, but SOMEWHAT true for the larger groups of people. When you think of stereotyped alcoholics in movies, you see them watching TV. And there are more examples I cant place right now, but they are there. I do think people are happier in groups, but I don't think spirituality is linked to happiness. Sure a lot of people who have someone to worship/pray too may be happier, but whoever conducted this little survey thing, must have looked in all of the wrong corners.
One thing that is definitely true in my opinion, is being happier in groups. I am always happiest when I am around people, and I don't even have to socialize with them. A simple thing such as being in a crowded shopping mall makes me really euphoric.
I don't much watch tv whenever I'm feel down. However, I'd much prefer to watch a comedy instead.
I watch tv with my boyfriend daily and couldn't be happier. We bond and connect and get to cuddle while relaxing and saving money.
They can get lost in the drama of a show. They can pretend their lives are like the ones on tv and they always have happy endings.
We actually discussed this article in my Journalism class. We mentioned that it had a lack of sourcing asides from the study. It never really explained how they defined unhappy and happy.
I don't necessarily believe that. I do watch less TV and am pretty happy, but some people just enjoy television.
I think it has to do with the social aspect, the same as drinking. Sitting alone and watching TV (or drowning your sorrows) is not healthy. Watching TV with friends (and having a couple of beers) is not as bad. We're social creatures.
Meh, I'm pretty happy. I watch T.V. a little bit, I watch movies a whole lot more. Maybe when people don't have things going on (i.e. building up to something like education, athletic events, success or visiting with friends) theres not much else to do.I don't think it has a whole lot to do with happiness levels, in my world there doesn't seem to be any correlation.
I believe it's being stereotypical to assume that when someone is home watching TV they are alone and unhappy. I don't think people who watch TV are unhappy per say. It's just that those who are into group activities and group events just have less time to watch TV is all. Ever heard of the saying feeling all alone in a room full of people? Just because someone is into group activities and group events doesn't automatically mean they are happy.
On a more personal note, I'm a loner. I choose to be a loner. That's because I've been burned one too many times by so called friends, loved ones, and the church. Just because I choose to be a loner doesn't mean I'm unhappy. It means that I'm wise enough to not be stomped on again. It means I'm jaded.
Now how about those who like to play video games/computer games a lot instead of doing group activities or group events? What about those who have their nose stuck in a book all the time rather than do group activities and group events?
Sometimes some people are just not people persons. That doesn't mean they are unhappy.
Yes, it makes sense...unless we're reffering to popular culture, (Especially in Teens, where you've got One Tree Hill, or whatever the fuck is big now). It's an escape from reality.
But this doesn't really apply to me.
Because I'm coping with low self-esteem, dependency issues, overall self-dissatisfaction, possibly depression, and undiagnosed eating issues. (Granted, I'm 16. 0.o)
Yet even when I'm bored out of my skull, TV is usueless.
I can somewhat agree with that. I think it's because some people without friend/no life watch a lot of TV because it's the only thing to make them happy. Besides, watching TV is like taking a drug. It makes you feel good, even though it's damaging if you do it too much.
I remember watching a good amount of TV as a kid, and I was happy as pie...so I'm sure it doesn't apply to everyone. But when I am happy I really want to just go outside and hang out with my friends rather than rot on the couch all day.
I did see this one family where the mother, father, and kid all had a TV and DVD in their room (Mom and Dad had separate rooms) it was so sad to watch. I didn't understand... I guess they were all unhappy even though they claimed to be a happy family.
I think that you do watch tv more when your unhappy because when im unhappy theres nothing i wanna do more then watch tv or put a DVD or video on because u can get lost in the film and movie and all your problems go away, like me and my best friend are having problems at the moment and im questioning weather its worth trying to sort eveything out or just moving on which wud kill to do so im :s and find i want to watch tv more.
but when eveythings ok im normally more happy and i like to be out more mostly all the time. with my friends and tv is the last thing on my mind when we have sleep overs the aim is to have a dvd night but that never happens.
but having said that sometimes i invite my friend over and we sit allday watching tv talking about who "fit" and whos not lol shallow but were girls :).
but sometimes when i am feeling at an all time low watching tv just doesint cut it i prefer to lie on my bed and remeber all the good times iv had with friends and forget about whats happening now.
i watch i lot of TV but i am still happy. maybe it's just happens to be that unhappy people watch a lot of TV , who knows?
yyess i agree. i watch tv a lot when i am majorly depressed.
bc people who are unhappy dont leave the house. so what are you going to do when youre at home besides sleep- thats right... watch tv.
watching tv means I'm bored and there's nothing to do
My husband and I work some opposite shifts... sometimes we only have the time to watch the shows we love together... sometimes when the other is it work we kill time by watching TV or playing video games while the other is gone... I actually have started to exercise while I watch TV since I find it boring to just exercise... Plus most of my friends also work different shifts then me so it's not like I can always hang out with them while he is at work.
I do watch TV while I am working 3rd shift.... but that is because it is really quiet in that office and it is nice to have some noise in the background...
So I guess by the study we are unhappy??? I find myself very happy and yes you can get lost in some shows because they are THAT good... others are just fun to have in the background while you do other things...
I am much happier when I'm alone! Groups are too much work for me, and in the end I tend to be ignored anyway. Unless it's a very small group, and I'm the host; and then I can't just let my friends sit around and not interact thanks to a TV show.
I watch a lot of TV at the end of the day. I may be a LITTLE depressed being away at college, but in the end for me watching TV is really just brain fodder... I watch Law & Order, House, and Jeopardy!, basically. Some comedy too, although I get a fair bit of that from my everyday life, haha. It's how I relax, let my brain go on autopilot after a long day of being a college student.
Actually when I had clinical depression I stopped doing EVERYTHING. I didn't watch TV for four years, even though I stopped taking the medication after two. I actually sat on the Internet more than I did anything else. :) Is using the web going to be an indication of depression now, too?
Watching TV is not an indicator of depression. Normal people watch television, otherwise it wouldn't be the way it is today. TV is a distraction when all other distractions fail, or at least fail to come to mind.