How much TV are we really watching?
If you are a male over 65 with a high school education, then the answer is... that you're not reading this article because you are watching TV right now.
What is the history of television?
The TV first became a part of daily life in the U.S. in the late 30's. Television comes from the Greek word "tele" which means "far" and "visio" which means "vision". Before TV was invented, families in America would gather around the radio to listen to news, music, and entertainment programming (before radio, they mainly watched cows). The technology for TV has changed dramatically over the years, moving from large bulky machines to lighter machines, then to color screens, plasma screens, LED screens, flat screens, and finally to screens so small and clear that they can be placed on hand-held mobile devices.
Why would more men than women consider television a necessity?
Men normally limit themselves to 2 or 3 necessities at any given time (work, beer, and TV for example) while women will often hold a large number of things as being necessary (work, TV, hair, healthy skin, weight, health, food, and friends for example). Because of this discrepancy in what is considered necessary, women are far less likely to consider TV a necessity.
Why would people 65+ be more likely to consider TV a necessity?
Do you know how expensive Viagra is? Seriously, though, older people spend a lot more time alone, and rely on TV for company.
Who is more likely to watch traditional TV?
The use of a traditional TV is still widespread, with those over the age of 45 being the most likely user.
Who is more likely to watch internet TV?
The internet became a viable TV watching tool around 2005 and really took off in 2007 with the creation of Hulu. The most likely user of internet TV is between age 35 and age 54.
Who is more likely to watch TV on a mobile device?
Mobile hand held devices are just beginning to become popular in the U.S. (Unlike countries like South Korea, where you may be trampled on the sidewalk by armies of young people watching their soap operas while walking to work.) With the advent of new high quality LED-type screens and Wi-Fi it will soon become a much larger part of the market. Half of all mobile phone TV watchers are between the ages of 25 and 44.
What is "Time-Shifted TV"?
With the advent of the VCR, people were able to watch TV on their own schedule and not the broadcasters'. You could set a VCR to record a show and watch it at your own convenience. The invention of the DVR made it even easier, with services like TiVo making it incredibly easy to have all your shows recorded and available to you whenever you want them.
How much TV do Americans watch?
The average American has the TV on for 6.8 hours a day. To put that into perspective, if you work 8 hours a day, sleep 8 hours a day, spend 2 hours eating your daily meals, and then spend an hour commuting to work, you will have 5 free hours to watch 6.8 hours of TV. To accomplish this we can sleep less, work less, speed home, or blindly shovel food into our mouths while staring into our TV, internet monitor, or mobile device.
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