Average TV Viewing for 2008-09 TV Season at All-Time High
For the 2008-2009 TV season, the amount of television watched reached an all-time high as Americans spent four hours and 49 minutes a day on average in front of the TV, up four minutes from last year and up 20% from 10 years ago. The average household watched eight hours and 21 minutes a day on average, also at an all-time high.
Seen at nielsenwire
The implication here is that all TV is essentially a waste of time, and therefore we see the increasing time spent as more and more wasted time for society. And it probably is. Yet, what would be interesting is to see what people are watching for all that time. There is a huge difference between someone watching a show on the Science Channel or the History Channel as opposed to a reality show or one of the countless sitcoms. If the content is educational entertainment (“edutainment”), TV has been proven to be a great medium to increase learning and understanding.
