Tag Archive for: University of Maryland

Happiness and TV

A new study by sociologists at the University of Maryland concludes that unhappy people watch more TV, while people who describe themselves as ‘very happy’ spend more time reading and socializing.

Researchers analyzed data spanning nearly 30 years and found that unhappy people watch an estimated 20 percent more television than very happy people, after taking into account their education, income, age, and marital status as well as other demographic predictors of both viewing and happiness.

On an unrelated note, a recent IBM study found that people are spending less time in front of the TV and more time on the Internet.

Sociologists have yet to determine whether Internet users are happy or unhappy.