- #1
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http://www.sciam.com/print_version.cfm?articleID=0005339B-A694-1CC5-B4A8809EC588EEDF
Guilty! I have the thing on all the time while I'm working. My job tends to be very solitary at times and the TV helps to break the monotony.
The Reality of Television Addiction
- Thread starter Ivan Seeking
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- Reality Television
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SUMMARY
The discussion centers on the phenomenon of television addiction, highlighting that individuals in industrialized nations spend an average of three hours daily watching TV, equating to nine years over a lifetime. Despite the enjoyment derived from television, many viewers express concerns about their viewing habits, with surveys indicating that 40% of adults and 70% of teenagers feel they watch too much. Participants share personal experiences, revealing a spectrum of TV consumption, from habitual background viewing to conscious avoidance of screen time.
PREREQUISITES- Understanding of television viewing habits and statistics
- Familiarity with psychological concepts related to addiction
- Knowledge of cultural impacts of media consumption
- Awareness of survey methodologies and data interpretation
- Research the psychological effects of television addiction on mental health
- Explore strategies for reducing screen time and promoting healthier viewing habits
- Investigate the role of background media in daily life and its psychological implications
- Study the impact of television content on societal norms and behaviors
This discussion is beneficial for psychologists, media studies scholars, and individuals seeking to understand the implications of television consumption on personal and societal levels.
Guilty! I have the thing on all the time while I'm working. My job tends to be very solitary at times and the TV helps to break the monotony.
- #2
check
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I watch much LESS television now than ever before. I used to turn on the tv and watch while surfing the second I got home from school. Now the TV in my room usually stays off till 9pm. I think my parents watch more than I do now.
I am addicted to a couple of shows though, namely Conan, The Daily Show and CNN.
I am addicted to a couple of shows though, namely Conan, The Daily Show and CNN.
- #3
Moonbear
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I'm not sure if having the TV on and watching it are necessarily the same thing. Right now, my TV is on, but I'm not actually sure what is on it (and it's on a commercial now...oh, commercial just ended...Extra)...it just keeps an otherwise empty house from seeming so empty on a windy night when things make weird noises. 
Besides, I have the perfect cure for the TV addiction...switch to PF.
Besides, I have the perfect cure for the TV addiction...switch to PF.
- #4
Smurf
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But then what's the cure for PF addiction?
- #5
Gokul43201
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When I get home, I switch on the TV...and I switch it off only when I sleep. Usually, however, there's less than two hours between the former and the latter. But even with the TV continuously on (usually flipping between various news shows) during this time, I rarely sit down in front of it for any significant length of time.
- #6
Moonbear
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Smurf said:
Why would you want to cure it?
- #7
relskid
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i don't spend a lot of time infront of the tube. i might turn it on if I'm really, really bored, or if there's a new episode of a show i like coming on, but on average, i probably watch about one hour a week.
- #8
Smurf
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Well it's just, instead of sitting in front of a TV screen all day and rotting your eyes, you're sitting in front of a computer screen all day that's emmiting radioactive rays that's rotting your brain.
- #9
relskid
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Smurf said:
- #10
Smurf
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Ah, good point.
- #11
Gokul43201
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Smurf said:
Wow...would that give me a radioactive brain ? Totally cool...then maybe I'll be able to picturize ten dimensions in my head...and maybe i'll be able to solve non-linear dynamical problems in my head...maybe i'll get ESP...and telelpathy...and x-ray vision...and heat vision...and the power to freeze objects...and raze mountains...and topple buildings...maybe even a death ray...or...or...wait a minute...I'm starting to sound like you.
- #12
Evo
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I rarely ever turn the tv on. Unless there is a good documentary on that I want to watch, or if I remember to catch my favorite cooking show, Iron Chef, it's never on. I don't like background noise, I prefer silence.
- #13
BobG
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I agree there's a difference between having the TV on and watching it. If I'm home alone, I have to have the TV going, even if I'm not in the same room. In fact, I have the TV on in the other room even if I'm listening to music in the room that I'm in. There's just something comforting about background voices slipping through once in a while.
My wife, however, is definitely addicted to Rosanne reruns. That scares me. Especially that episode where Rosanne is at the perfume counter and the saleswoman says, "You know what they say - the fastest way to a man's heart is through his nose", and Rosanne replies, "Huh, and I'd always thought the fastest way to a man's heart was through his chest."
My wife, however, is definitely addicted to Rosanne reruns. That scares me. Especially that episode where Rosanne is at the perfume counter and the saleswoman says, "You know what they say - the fastest way to a man's heart is through his nose", and Rosanne replies, "Huh, and I'd always thought the fastest way to a man's heart was through his chest."