It's still early in the new year, which means that there is plenty of time to correct those horrible habits that plagued you in 2010. Goodbye Twinkie diet! So long animal hoarding compulsion! Farewell, cigarettes and embarrassing Newport withdrawal-related crimes! Now, if only you could amend your horrible television-watching habits.
The New York Times reports that on average, Americans spent 34 hours a week watching network and basic cable television in 2010. This statistic means three things:
1.) Americans actually watched more than 34 hours of television on average if you factor premium cable, On Demand programming and online content into this calculation.
2.) For some people, couch surfing is just as important to their weekly routine as that full-time job that pays the bills. Also, sleep.
3.) Have you looked at your TV Guide lately? For every quality series like Mad Men, there are a fistful of schmaltzy sitcoms (Two and a Half Men, Mike & Molly), trashy reality series (Jersey Shore, Bridalplasty) and tabloid news shows (Access Hollywood, The Insider) that are the intellectual equivalent of a commercial-interrupted audio test tone. If you consider this good-to-bad programming ratio, Americans are watching bad television like it's a full-time job.
Let's turn things around in 2011!
ยท TV Viewing Continues to Edge Up [NYT]