Searching for Happiness
There are excellent database of large-scale surveys that have been collected over decades. These databases allow researchers to address questions such as "What makes us happy?" By combing over 30 years of data from multiple sources, researchers have found some trends that make people happy and unhappy. Collectively, the researchers at the University of Maryland, led by John P. Robinson and Steven Martin used data from more than 30,000 people from 1975-2006. They looked at general surveys and time-use studies (studies that look at how people spend their time). Here is what they found:What Makes Us Happy
In short, happy people read and socialize more while unhappy people watch more TV. In fact, very happy people watched 20% less television than unhappy people (controlling for education, age, income and other factors). Interestingly, while people are watching TV, they seem happy but in the long-term their happiness is lower than the people who watch TV less. So TV seems to be a short-term pleasure that leads to a long-term discontent. Most everything else was the same between happy and unhappy people.TV As An Addiction
The researchers go so far as to talk about TV as an addiction. People get their TV "fix" and feel good as long as the TV is on, but then they suffer from a kind of withdraw. Overall, their happiness is lessened by watching TV.Time and Happiness
Another interesting finding was that unhappy people reported having more unwanted free time (51% to 19% of happy people). But they also reported feeling more rushed than happy people (35% to 23%). This is a contradiction - to both have more free time and feel more rushed. Personally, I don't understand what "unwanted free time" is. Free time sounds pretty darn desirable to me . . .So How Do I Get Happy?
Well, that seems clear -- turn off the TV. What I think is happening is that your brain has trouble separating TV from real life. You go through your day subconsciously thinking about TV characters and their lives and are distracted from appreciating the actual life you live in. I know that after I watch TV or a movie, my mind is racing to process and understand all the characters and stories. I think about them as I fall asleep, I dream about them. I find myself slipping into their speech patterns. It makes my real life seem pale and uninteresting in comparison. When I don't watch TV for a while, my own life starts getting more interesting as there is "room" in my brain for all the tiny and wonderful details that make life interesting and, well, happy. Try a TV fast for a week and just see what happens.Must Read: Turn Off Your TV
Source(s): Robinson JP, Martin S. What Do Happy People Do? Social Indicators Research Vol. 89, No. 3 December 2008.
