Outside of Sleeping, Americans Spend Most of Their Time Watching Television

Robert59

Robert59

Well-known Member
Location
Now I live in Tennesee. Did live in Michigan.
The problem is people will turn it on and hunt for things to watch for hours. Instead selectively viewing things they're really interested in seeing. I taught my kids the damn thing has an off button and modeled the behavior. Used to shock visitors that they weren't in front of it every hour not at school or sleeping. They played, both indoors and out and READ just like i do. Yes i watch movies, series and You Tube stuff, but selectively. Some things to learn and some just for fun.
 
Seems to me lately that most of my time spent obsessing about moving, I've only moved twice before. When I was 4 years old, my parents moved from an upstairs apartment to the downstairs flat in the same house. Then in 1975 we moved to where I currently live, but both times my dad handled all the details - I wan't involved except for my own things and 46 years ago, we all had a lot less "stuff".
 
I have no internal control switch. A remote and a tv and I will watch until i fall asleep. I think they call that addiction. Cold turkey now since 2006 . sure do miss the ease of the entertainment and sports but love to read and rather be doing that and outdoor chores or just watching the rain come down while sitting on the porch. But would be great to see some classic tv shows like the Rockford Files, Cannon, ....oh well
 
Maybe the conversion to a household used to a two person income has affected the way people view DIY. Doing projects & looking forward to doing something that fills time constructively fills that time. Finished converting a bathroom with a tub to a bathroom with a shower. Working on patio now, leveling ground for cement base for slate tile placement. Once done hope to help son with converting a 17ft. used van to a mobile home. Always something different to fill my days like helping a few neighbors with plumbing & electrical problems.

As for TV like old series like Murdock mysteries. Doc Martin. CSI. most British crime series & all the nature programming. Toss in Spanish telenovels that can run for up to 180 episodes.
 
I only watch TV when I go to bed. The TV is off during the day but but the DVR records selected animal/zoo/nature programs. Once in bed, I turn it on, select one of the pre-recorded programs, set the timer and am usually asleep in 15 minutes or so. My parents told me they had to turn on the radio to get me to sleep when I was very young and that persisted up until I went to college. Must be ingrained.
 
Yep, I am one with the TV on a lot. But, sometimes I have it in the background while I am doing other things, like housework, or compute stuff. I TRY not to let it be my only focus. That can be difficult, sometimes.
And the pandemic did not help.
 
Outside of sleeping, I seem to spend most of my time trying to get my computer, cell phone or Kindle to work. Got my new Kindle today, fire it up; it's in Dutch (which I don't know a word of). So I get in a chat session with Amazon and the rep kept telling me to scroll down and click on "Quick Settings." 'Course neither he or I knew what "Quick Settings" translates to in Dutch, so finally clicking on the gear icon worked. And tomorrow will be Trip #3 (3!) to Best Buy Electronics store to try yet another modem in an effort to find one which will work with my internet provider. Let's hope 3rd time's the charm. So that's what I feel like I'm doing every minute awake. (That and laundry.)
 
Major pet peeve of mine !! I don’t have TV (the little bit I see in others homes confirms that’s a good decision). I do feel sad that a lot of nursing home patients and bed-bound patients in home are set in front of a tv for hours in end …. Of all the mind-numbing ways to help someone pass the time!
 
I wonder how other countries compare with America. How do people spend their time in other places?

If the coronavirus made it necessary for most Americans to work from home, eliminating hours of commuting time for many, and they are not able to engage in sports, gym activities etc., it's not at all surprising that they are watching more TV. But I doubt that there is anything particularly American about this.
 

Outside of Sleeping, Americans Spend Most of Their Time Watching Television​


Not this American

Daylight hours, and most times into the night, I'm either in the shop, or the back yard

Many honey dos and my own projects

I can sit, maybe a couple hours in front of the big screen, and while doing that, I'm either on here or other forums.

Can't stand wasting time
Not that much left

And, no, I don't consider taking naps a waste

It's a perk now

We seniors have earned it

moi..thinking.jpg
 
Major pet peeve of mine !! I don’t have TV (the little bit I see in others homes confirms that’s a good decision). I do feel sad that a lot of nursing home patients and bed-bound patients in home are set in front of a tv for hours in end …. Of all the mind-numbing ways to help someone pass the time!

I agree it is sad but considering the shortage of staff, at least they do have TV..can you imagine what it would be like if all things stayed the same minutes the TVs
 

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What is so bad about TV, anyway? It is a major source of recreation, news, and education for most of us. It depends on what you choose to watch, and how many hours a day are given over to it. You can criticize any form of recreation the same way, if it's overdone.
 
Sunny said:
What is so bad about TV, anyway? It is a major source of recreation, news, and education for most of us. It depends on what you choose to watch, and how many hours a day are given over to it. You can criticize any form of recreation the same way, if it's overdone.
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I agree; I keep it on a lot, usually a movie or the Home&Garden channel, when Huzz isn't here because it helps with loneliness. And I use it instead of just music because I figure it's good practice for getting used to how noisy it's gonna be in the nursing home.
 
TV recreation? You are sitting on your A.. all the time, maybe eating junk food and not getting a second of much needed exercise. I watch 2 hours of TV each night. I buy DVDs from Amazon. I hate commercials and find most TV shows geared to the very simple element of our society. It's making dumb people even more dumb. Each to their own but I'm heading for the Yukon tomorrow morning to see the real world. You can keep your "500 channels and nothing to watch."
 
Packerjohn said:
TV recreation? You are sitting on your A.. all the time, maybe eating junk food and not getting a second of much needed exercise. I watch 2 hours of TV each night. I buy DVDs from Amazon. I hate commercials and find most TV shows geared to the very simple element of our society. It's making dumb people even more dumb. Each to their own but I'm heading for the Yukon tomorrow morning to see the real world. You can keep your "500 channels and nothing to watch."
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Not everybody (heck not even most once they're old enough) can visit places like the Yukon. And a lot of the time, even if they can still drive (but maybe shouldn't still be), they can't drive far enough to visit some place worth going to (as in where we are, you have to drive for hours to get out of the smoke and heat). So TV is darn well the only form of recreation that some people have access to. And that's what happens to most if they live long enough; it's not a question of IF you're going to have to give up driving, it's WHEN. A lot of people (most of whom seem to be male) don't want to face that fact, but it's reality.
 
Plus the fact that there's an enormous amount of really good stuff on TV these days. We are not living in the old days of limited network TV, with 3-4 channels to choose from. Renting DVD's from Amazon is so 1990's! Don't you get streaming TV where you live?

I watch only the streaming channels I choose, which have the best movies and series, including most of the old classics. And there are documentaries like the brilliant ones about the universe by Neil De Grasse Tyson. And Youtube has a whole collection of plays, operas, ballets, pop concerts, and speakers on every subject.

Best of all, most of the streaming channels have no commercials. Easily worth the few bucks a month.

And just FYI, Packerjohn, I also keep it down to about 2 hours a day. I fall asleep with anything longer. And I don't eat junk food. Watching TV doesn't mean a person never gets out of the house, doesn't read, or enjoy a hobby or two. And now that the pandemic is largely over for those of us who are vaccinated, we spend plenty of time with other people!

But during the locked-in period, perhaps some people (Americans or not) spent a bit more time watching TV, as we were practically forced to stay home. Why the superior attitude?
 

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