Turn Off Your TV! Be Happy...

I often laugh at social research studies that "prove" common sense social observations. It's like, "Those who see the sky as blue, tend to be happier than those who describe it as gray." It's like, I always knew...now I have PROOF.

Well, University of Maryland Professor Dr. John Robinson found this "new proof": Happier people watch less television than less happier people. They also socialize more, got to church (I imagine, regularly) and read the newspaper. The newspaper for crissake! I wonder does it matter if it's in print or on-line? Daily or weekly? And, does a computer screen (surfing the internet, dvd watching, etc.) count for TV time? Did the good doctor account for martial status, number of kids, hours worked, level of household responsibilities, etc.? No, really.

In short, Dr. Robinson just shows us that people in the study have a LIFE, a FAITH and, because they can converse, (OMG!) a SUPPORT NETWORK. You just have to love it. I know I'm in stitches. (Thank you to the 45,000 participants and your 35 years of hard activity recording work!)

Here comes the glitch, according to the New York Time,

"...the researchers could not tell whether unhappy people watch more television or whether being glued to the set is what makes people unhappy. "I don’t know that turning off the TV will make you more happy,” Dr. Robinson said.

Still, he said, the data show that people who spend the most time watching television are least happy in the long run."

Interesting.

Let me go out on a wild limb here...but I would venture to guess-estimate that there is also a high correlation between depression and the sample of the 45,000 participants who watch inordinate amounts of TV when compared to the "happy" study participants. I would even go further to say that most of these individuals are even less likely to be diagnosed for depression. I also venture to guess that there is no correlation by income status, education level, and family size. I won't even have to mention my concerns for home rearing, mild compulsive disorders, additive behavioral patterns, need for known safe spaces as a coping mechanism, loneliness, etc.

I won't even breath a word. Shhhh. Just in case, pass me the remote.

The Afterw@rd