A recent study shows that unhappy people watch more TV than the ones that declared to be very happy, as TV gives immediate comfort, but does not pay off on the long run.

Unhappy people have the urge to lose themselves in front of their TV screen, reaching for that immediate happiness of not being aware of their own problems and concentrating more on the news or other TV shows.

The study, conducted by sociologists at Maryland University, shows that unhappy people watch 20% more television than the ones that declared to be very happy. On the other hand, happy people tend to read more and have a more social active life.

The study interviewed 30,000 people, by asking about happiness and social activities. The study also shows that happy people tend to go to church more often, are more inclined to vote and, generally, have a more active social life. The study also shows how TV programs affect one’s mood.

Results show that TV can boost someone’s self esteem, but this, generally, happens only for a short period of time. Reading newspapers, or books, on the other hand, gives for better results. The data gathered from the study also shows that with the economic crisis and more and more people losing their jobs, or even worse, their houses, TV viewing can increase.

TV has always constituted a problem for people and it is much like video games. A person isolated in front of any screen, slowly becomes to exist more in a world of fantasy, than in real life.