Why do people watch so much television and video? Implications for the future of viewing and advertising

Barwise, T P, Bellman, S and Beal, V (2020) Why do people watch so much television and video? Implications for the future of viewing and advertising. Journal of Advertising Research, 60 (2). pp. 121-134. ISSN 0021-8499

Abstract

This paper reviews the evidence on why people watch so much TV/video – up over 15% in the last 25 years among US adults, including online viewing. Previous media research suggests that two important reasons are that viewing helps people (i) relax and (ii) escape from their worries. Lab-based EEG and reaction time studies confirm this and explain it, finding that watching TV/video (i) generates brainwaves associated with pleasant, wakeful relaxation and (ii) automatically absorbs cognitive capacity, taking viewers’ minds off other things. These findings need further testing and refinement for today’s increasingly complex TV/video environment, but the initial evidence is that the new types of viewing meet broadly similar needs to those met by traditional TV viewing and are likely cognitively processed in the same way.