Boohoob Tube

I think that's one of my most clever titles yet. Don't mind if I pat myself on the back.

TV might make you sad. Or maybe if you're sad you just watch more tv. It's probably one of those vicious circles. That's my guess. Those are the worst. Well, maybe when people say "equally as" or "myself" (when they mean "I"). Those are worse. Or when people put celery in tuna salad. I hate that.

TV provides an escape from reality and if you're not so crazy about your reality, a pretty quick and easy way out is to dive into the glamorous lifestyle of someone whose job or adventures are something about which you would only dream. You know, like Ocean's 11 or James Bond.

If you're stressed out about something, you might put it off to be entertained by a comedian who makes you laugh and forget about your worries. Well, when the show's over you have the same problem, but instead of doing something about it, you've put it off and not taken any steps to correct it. We're all guilty of this from time to time, but there are definitely people out there who need to snap themselves out of it and live.

This is bumming me out. I'm going to go watch the Ricky Gervais special that I dvr-ed on Saturday night.

From MSN Health & Fitness -

Short-term pleasure, long-term malaise

"These conflicting data suggest that TV may provide viewers with short-run pleasure, but at the expense of long-term malaise," said researcher John Robinson, a sociologist at the University of Maryland, College Park.

In this scenario, even the happiest campers could turn into Debbie-downers if they continue to stare at the boob-tube. The researchers suggest that over time, television-viewing could push out other activities that do have more lasting benefits. Exercise and sex come to mind, as do parties and other forms of socialization known to have psychological benefits.