How much TV do you watch in a week, on average?

When people self-report their media consumption, they tend to underestimate (or under-report) the amount of TV they watch. The Video Consumer Mapping Study [bsu.edu] (VCM), the largest study of video consumption to date, also documented this tendency.

Even for the well-intentioned, it's easy to underestimate. While participants in the VCM commonly under-reported by 25%, I find it especially interesting when a person under-reports by a very large amount—like 80%. There is a social stigma about watching television. Some people feel shame about it, and may even be aware that television is part of a coping strategy in their lives—one of the factors in television addiction [turnoffyourtv.com].

But the VCS is a media study, not a sociopsychological one. It has a lot of fascinating data [researchexcellence.com] about American's viewing habits. Do people watch more TV or less if they own a DVR? Do most people watch alone or with others? How many people watch more video online than on television? It's in there.

So maybe reading the study will make you feel better about watching TV. Or maybe, like Jerry Mander, author of Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television [wikipedia.org] , you feel more depressed and concerned as you think about the impact of TV-viewing on our bodies, brains, and societies.

I'm very fond of Peep Show [channel4.com] . But I can't shake this nagging awareness that time I spend consuming is time taken away from creating.

Actually - 'tele' means 'distant' - so sound isn't required for television at all...

"Television? The word is half Greek and half Latin. No good will come of this device."
-- C. P. Scott 1936

Specifically, the "tele" half means DISTANCE, not sound, and if you need me to tell you what "vision" means... well, then there's no helping you.