This just in from The Department of Horrifying Scientific Studies: Researchers at the University of Maryland have some cockamamie theory that TV watching causes long-term unhappiness. Yes, these scientists can point to 34 years worth of data collected from more than 45,000 people, but how do they explain the anecdotal evidence of the huge endorphin rush I got last night from watching DVR’d episodes of Old Christine and The Office?
The study, which appears in the December issue of Social Indicators Research (sounds like a front for the National Association of Book Publishers to me), concludes that "’not happy’ people" estimate they watch "30 percent more TV hours per day than ‘very happy’ people," and that plopping in front of the idiot box "pushes aside time spent in other activities — ones that might be less immediately pleasurable, but that would provide long-term benefits in one’s condition." Gross. I mean, what activities could possibly provide long-term benefits to my condition more than the one-two punch of Gavin & Stacey, The Mentalist, and Countdown with Keith Olbermann that I’ve got planned tonight?
So help me out, PopWatchers. Let’s brainstorm some reasons to completely discredit these so-called "researchers." I’ll get the list started; you continue it in the comments section below:
* The participants in the study who watched lots of TV had no cable and relied on bunny ears for reception. (Of course they’re sad! They don’t even know what Project Runway is!)
* The "sad" people in the study just said they were sad because they were tired of the researchers interrupting their programs.(Obvs.)
*The researchers are still angry that David Archuleta didn’t win season 7 of American Idol.
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These people in the study probably watch shows like CSI and L&O, which most of the time end in sadness and/or jail. And/or someone really cool dying.
Plus, the researchers are just jaded. Sad?! With shows like 30 Rock (funny), Battlestar Galactica (serious drama) and America’s Next Top Model (bitchy quota)?
EW should bring in these researchers and show them what’s what. TV is the common cold cure for many a sadness or depression. I mean, unless the show people break up, or die, or get put into comas…
After my divorce I didn’t have cable for a year. To busy taking care of my munchkin. I recently got HBO for Tru Blood. My tv went out and I had to buy a new HDTV and hooked myself up with home theatre system. I have never thought of myself as materialistic, but My new set up makes me SOOOO HAPPPPYYY!!!!!
YAY tv!lol
After my divorce I didn’t have cable for a year. To busy taking care of my munchkin. I recently got HBO for Tru Blood. My tv went out and I had to buy a new HDTV and hooked myself up with home theatre system. I have never thought of myself as materialistic, but My new set up makes me SOOOO HAPPPPYYY!!!!!
YAY tv!lol
The results of this study seem to suggest to me that being unhappy isn’t the result of watching tv, but that when someone is unhappy they watch more tv. That makes sense as those are two very different things. You’re less motivated when you’re unhappy, and in our society the easiest things to turn to in our homes are food and entertainment. Especially the latter if you’re trying to escape or just take your mind off things.
Haha as a psych major who’s addicted to a fair few tv shows… they probably inverted cause/effect… as in people who are already sad watch more tv, rather than tv making people sad
Clearly this is a very flawed study!!!
Were the participants watching multiple episodes of 2 1/2 Men or According to Jim? I would be sad too.
For my old career, I traveled A LOT in a highly stressful job. But wherever I was in the U.S. the same tv shows would be on (I’m looking at you X-Files reruns on XF). It was quite comforting and actually kept me quite sane. And happy!
I discredit this report because:
-The sad people watch only shows on HBO and Showtime (they’re good, but not necessarily happy stuff)
I agree with Amy and Andie and think that they confused correlation and causation. When I was depressed a number of years ago, I couldn’t get myself out of bed a lot of the time and ended up watching a lot (and I mean A LOT!) of television, just flipping from channel to channel, not focusing on anything. Now, I still watch a number of television shows, but they make me happy, and I enjoy my television watching time. (Despite the fact that I may still watch more than I should! *grin*)
Maybe it’s the ads that made people restless and unhappy, instead of the TV shows themselves? Isn’t that what ads are designed to do, make people unhappy unless they buy some product? This would make sense if it was a 30-year study, since DVRs and ad-skipping only came about recently.
I agree that tv doesn’t make people unhappy but unhappy people watch tv. If someone is unhappy, he doesn’t want to go out with friends or join clubs/activities but rather slips into a funk of idleness, thus watching more tv than others.
My must-watches (Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, Brothers & Sisters, Heroes & Gossip Girl) give me something look forward to every week. Thanks to the brilliant actors, writers, and the rest of the cast members of these amusing and enjoyable shows, I can count on great entertainment every week. That makes me happy.
Maybe they didn’t see Mark Sloan sans clothes on Grey’s Anatomy, that made my friends and I very happy.
I think these researchers need some Pushing Dasies to brighten up their day.
Even though I am a very proud alumnus of the University of Maryland, and tout my school at every opportunity, clearly there was a totally unavoidable error in this study. As others have suggested, it does seem that the sad people went to TV as a solution. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if TV made them less sad than they would have been otherwise — being ostracized by social groups, or failing at yet another sport so easy anyone could do. No, instead they channeled their sadness into an activity that fostered their own self-excellence. You think those coffee- and sports-drink fueled lycra-clad hotties are able to sit still long enough to appreciate the nuances of Cameron’s coquettish smile, or Ned’s desire to get down with Chuck? Of course not. What empty lives those people must have, thinking they are happy when the people in the study clearly are actively engaged in avoiding that trap. What wonders they must see.
I am SICKENED by The Insiders “new” video of Anna Nicole Smith… How can Lara Spencer stomach this crap. The woman DIED from drugs and they are capitalizing on her behavior and slurred speech. SICK! Pass on the message- maybe someone at the show will get a clue!
tv is great! its something to take your mind off of a stressful day. what the heck were these researchers thinking??
I posit that the people this study focused on were ALREADY unhappy and that they used TV as an escape for their unhappiness. TV was not the cause, but the result. As for those of us with a healthy dose of happy, TV just adds to our life satisfaction; it does not decrease it. Take that “scientists”!
What a lame study! And on a side note anyone who hasn’t watched Gavin and Stacey needs to check it out. That show would make anyone happy!
It’s simple. Extremes of any kind are bad, not just for TV. Of course, those who watch TV in moderation, to them it’s just increased entertainment time and a period to kick back with friends and family. For moderate viewers, TV doesn’t stop them from living a productive, energetic, and fulfilling life.
For those who delve too much into TV, become addicted to it or use it for escapism all the time, of course it’s unhealthy.
The cause and effect rule is wrongly interpreted in their study. They asume that people who watch Tv are more unhappy instead of asuming that TV is a comfort for unhappy people and hence they watch more of it…
I agree with the correlation and causation argument. Unhappy people do watch more tv, but watching tv doesn’t necessarily make someone unhappy.
However, I will be very unhappy if Pushing Daisies goes off the air. So maybe more people are sad because their favorite tv shows are being cancelled. If this for some reason is true, I blame the networks. Unhappy people should watch USA and Bravo more often.
this is off topic, but the new design on the main page looks awful. i preferred it when the blogs were separated.
I was going to write a post about what depression really means but I have no time because I’m doing the thing that truly depresses me…homework.
Anyway, I don’t know all of the technical aspects of this experiment but if the researchers observed people who watch the 90 min of TV I do on Thurs night (the office, 30 rock, it’s always sunny in philadelphia) they’d realize that TV is truly a source of laughs and happiness. Because where else am I gonna say Werewolf Bar Mitzvah or green man hitting someone in the face with a volleyball?
They were watching what everyone else was watching because they thought it was good and it really wasn’t.
I must say that I have met great people, had great intellectual conversations and ponderings, and learned a crapload (as well and developed new likings) due to TV. Hah. And without TV my life would be very much sad.
Maybe the researchers took away their TV away to see if their happiness increased. Of course, now they’re just mad because they wanted to find out what happened next on Lost and now some a-hole from Accounting will spoil it.
There is no way they can say there is a causal relationship there. There could be an extraneous third factor that accounts for the correlation. Or it may just be a random correlation, but not a causation. I have learned a lot from tv and am very happy watching it!
well when networks cancel good shows like Veronica Mars and My worst Enemy makes me not happy you dont wanna make me unhappy
Yes, I watch tons of television and yes I’m incredibly bitter and have absolutely no outside interests. But rather than blame television, I think the more logical culprit is my defect personality.
I read an article about this on TV Squad and laughed at this comment because I thought it was funny and original.
“maybe they are unhappy because scientists keep interrupting their t.v. viewing to ask them if they are happy.”
Then I read what you wrote.
* The “sad” people in the study just said they were sad because they were tired of the researchers interrupting their programs. (Obvs.)”
I absolutely love that comment.
And those “scientists” need to do something actually helpful and useful with their lives like go find a cure for cancer.
When my family got a DVR my TV watching time declined drastically and I can’t say I’m less happy for it. I record what I really want to watch and when I’ve watched it I get off the couch and do something else.
In fact the only times in the last few years I can remember just plopping in front of the TV was when I was depressed or knitting/crocheting.