COLLEGE PARK, Md., Nov 14, 2008 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Unhappy people watch
significantly more television compared with happy people who are more socially
active, vote more and read more, U.S. researchers say.
John Robinson and Steven Martin of the University of Maryland conducted an
analysis of U.S. national data of nearly 30,000 adults. They examined the
activity patterns of happy and less happy people in the General Social Survey
from 1975 to 2006.
The study authors found that happy people were more socially active, attended
more religious services, voted more and read more newspapers.
The study, published in the Social Indicators Research, also notes that TV
watching requires very little activity compared with other leisure activities.
TV viewers don't have to go anywhere, dress up, find company, plan ahead, expend
energy, do any work or pay for anything, the researchers said.
The lack of effort required probably accounts for why TV watching takes up more
than half of Americans' free time, the study said.
The study found that 51 percent of unhappy people were more likely to have
unwanted extra time on their hands compared with very happy people, at 19
percent, and to feel rushed for time -- 35 percent versus 23 percent.
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