I’m sure you won’t be shocked if I tell you that research shows that too much TV is bad for you.

The study found that despite the sharp rise in our standard of living in recent decades, Americans today are not happier than they were in earlier generations: a large percentage of the people surveyed were likely to spend a big chunk of their day in an unpleasant state.

According to the study authors, this is because people don’t incorporate enough “engaging leisure and spiritual activities”, such as socializing, exercising or reading books, into their day. Despite having more leisure time than ever before, time spent on engaging leisure activities has actually declined over the past four decades.

Instead, there’s been a significant increase in the hours devoted to what the authors call “neutral downtime,” which is mostly watching television. Watching TV may be low-stress and moderately enjoyable, but people aren’t mentally engaged the way they are when they’re exercising or socializing.

Not surprisingly, the study authors suggest that people stop watching too much TV. They say that people would feel better about their lives if they spend their leisure time doing something more interactive and engaging than watching television.

Photo by moritz

Similar Posts:

• Multitasking Doesn’t Work. Slow Down!
• Fat People Not Welcome
• Why Do You Like Me?
• Nine To Five: Is It Really That Bad?