The activities we do in our spare time can be an indicator of our level of happiness or misery, according to a new study by sociologists at the University of Maryland. Analyzing data collected over the past 30 years, researchers have concluded that people who are not happy spend more time watching television , while people who describe themselves as happy spend more time watching. read and socialize . Details are published in the journal Social Indicators Research .
According to sociologist John P. Robinson, a co-author of the work and a pioneer in time-use studies, watching television is a passive activity that often acts as an escape route. ? The data suggest that the habit of watching television can offer immediate pleasure at the expense of long-term discomfort ,? says the researcher, adding that it is a comfortable and cheap activity that does not require company or effort. On the contrary, reading books, newspapers or magazines and interacting with others gives us long-term satisfaction .
Specifically, the data reveals that unhappy people consume 20% more television than happy people, regardless of educational level, income, age and marital status. Robinson warns that these numbers will rise significantly if the economy continues to worsen in the coming months.
