Television consumption
Similar to other high-consumption ways of life, television watching is prompted by a quest for pleasure, escape, and "anesthesia."
Television viewing peaked in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has slightly decreased to an estimated 2 hours and 33 minutes daily in 2023.
People are watching more content on streaming platforms through their phones, tablets, and laptops, as opposed to traditional television.
Retirement is the most likely reason for these higher numbers, as those in the younger demographic are entering the workforce and starting families, requiring them to divert and focus their time and attention away from television.
[9] The COVID-19 pandemic forced the world to stay inside, unable to travel or go to work in most cases, this affected television consumption as people did not have many other activities able to do.
[11] This phenomenon originated in the Digital Age when streaming videos became easily accessible due to the advancement in technology and the low costs of unlimited bandwidth.
Binge-watching to gain instant satisfaction is a negative coping strategy of behavioral addiction that may be compared to gambling in terms of its problematic nature.
Watching television for hours on end isn't healthy for the individual's body and brain, so as more time is spent in front of the screen, more damage can be done.
Across cultures, television consumption has been associated to cause an overweight, inactive lifestyle among high school students across the United States.
[20] Sedentary activities, such as consuming television, combined with soda consumption create positive energy in adolescents and contributes to childhood obesity.
[21] Adolescents over 15 have a more structured schedule, going into high school and possibly also work, therefore they don't have as much time for television.
The urge for food intake is increased when in front of a screen, which includes TV, computer, and video games.
Overall, 31% of the sample did not participate in daily physical activity, 11% were overweight, and 76% ate an insufficient amount of servings of fruit and vegetables.
This study suggests that the correlation between negative body images among adolescents and television consumption is based on the types of content and motives for watching, not the total amount.
The main characters of these televised programs are frequently portrayed by actors and actresses that fit into the attractive and thinner beauty standards.
In comparison, the actors and actresses that are viewed as less attractive and not as thin as their co-stars often portray characters that are used as the butt of jokes or less successful.
Also, the amount of time spent viewing these shows had no correlation to perceived police effectiveness, punitive attitudes, or fear of crime.
The United States lead the global list of daily TV viewing time in 2015, followed by Poland, Japan, Italy, and Russia.
