Over the last few weeks a popular topic of conversation has been the end of summer and the start of a new school year. In my area, public schools are already in session and universities will soon begin a new academic year. With this transition many people are trying to establish new routines. If you are like most people, television will be a part of your routine. In fact, 74% of American adults turn their television on every day and most devote significant time to watching it according to the latest research by the Barna Group.
They found that “on average, women (3.4 hours, median) watch more TV than men (3.0 hours). And, as a rule, TV watching increases with age.” Additionally, when viewing habits are considered overall the results are
- 0 hours a day: 5%
- 1-2 hours a day: 33%
- 3-4 hours a day: 32%
- 5+ hours a day: 30%
So What?
Busy continues to be the word I hear most often when people describe their schedules. Even with our very busy lives, most people manage to carve out at least an hour a day to watch TV and the majority find 3+ hours a day. Clearly priorities and habits matter (an important point for ministry leaders to note).
- How pleased are you with the amount of time you spend watching TV?
- If you were to intentionally forgo a portion of your TV time in order to use that time for something else, what would you choose?