The Happy Moron

Whoda thunk it?

Thank you, University of Maryland, for giving us the answers we already knew. We knew this before, but now we can all say, “This is true. They did a study.” and win our arguments.

Sarcasm aside, there’s food for thought in this. Some notable quotes from the article:

TV doesn’t really seem to satisfy people over the long haul the way that social involvement or reading a newspaper does,” says University of Maryland sociologist John P. Robinson, the study co-author and a pioneer in time use studies. “It’s more passive and may provide escape – especially when the news is as depressing as the economy itself. The data suggest to us that the TV habit may offer short-run pleasure at the expense of long-term malaise.

…

“What viewers seem to be saying is that while TV in general is a waste of time and not particularly enjoyable, ‘the shows I saw tonight were pretty good,’ “

…

“Addictive activities produce momentary pleasure and long-term misery and regret,”

Is passive consumption of entertainment a new thing? How did our forefathers try and pacify their misery?

I think they gazed into a fire, or at the stars. Sometimes I think I envy them, because I have neither fire nor stars. Both were crafted by the hand of God and reflect his creative beauty. I have television, which seems to be crafted along different lines entirely.

But then I don’t envy them, because I have God himself.