Happiness and Television Viewing

Abstract

Watching TV is a major human activity. Many people are tempted to watch television rather than to pursue more engaging activities. Individuals with incomplete control over their own behaviour watch more TV than they consider optimal for themselves. Their well-being is lower than they could achieve. Heavy TV viewers, and in particular those who lose a great deal of time that might have been spent doing something else, report lower life satisfaction. Long TV hours are also linked to higher material aspirations and anxiety.