Does Watching TV Actually Make Us Feel Relaxed?
For many of us the TV is our escape from reality once we finally get home from work. In the current state of the world with many people working from home the TV may be on all day long. According to Nielsen, 29% of all at home workers leave the TV while going about their day now. In fact, on average Americans currently consume close to 6 hours each day cumulatively of video content.
The real question is now when we finish our work and turn on the TV does it still make us as relaxed as it used to? The answers really depends on what it is your watching and what kind of person you are. For example a 2012 study found that we are most relaxed when we watch reruns of things we’ve already seen. We may even want to fall asleep or just reflect on our day. If we are watching something that we enjoy and already know what’s going to happen it allows our brains to recharge.
In general if you were to put on the news or a horror movie it could have the opposite affect. They can trigger the body’s fight or flight response and leave you sitting on the couch feeling uneasy. However, there are some people who can still relax and watch these things as well.
Obviously too much TV is still problematic, however, it might not be the worst for at home workers. According to PopSci.com, leaving the TV on as a distraction can actually help you complete tasks. That can actually be said for any ambient sound that mimics people walking or talking in the background.