- New research reveals people watch about 3.5 hours of television each day, on average.
- Six in ten adults admit they would “be lost” without their TV set!
LONDON — Television has become such a common part of all of our lives that most don’t even think about just how much time they spend staring at their TV screen. Of course, all of those hours are undoubtedly adding up, and a recent survey of 2,000 British adults finds that the average TV viewer will watch an astounding 78,705 hours of programming (movies, sports, news, etc.) in their lifetime. That’s a whole lot of screen time that may have been better spent on more productive endeavors.
On a day-to-day basis, the average adult watches TV for three-and-a-half hours, amounting to 1,248 hours each year.
The survey, commissioned by LG Electronics, broke down those numbers even further and concluded that the average adult these days will watch 3,639 movies at home, and 31,507 episodes of TV during their lifespan. As far as different programs, the average person will watch 11,278 different TV series as well.
Additionally, it seems that deciding what to watch is a very common problem among modern families. The average household will have two arguments every week simply over what to watch. Sadly, more than half of the survey’s participants say their household would struggle to get by with only one television for everyone.
That’s probably why, according to the research, the average home hosts at least two TV sets, which are usually thrown out in favor of newer models every six years.
When it comes to watching TV, modern audiences have made it clear that quality matters. A full quarter of respondents say their viewing experience can easily be ruined by an outdated TV, which is why many usually go out to friends’ homes or bars to watch big events.
Here’s an especially noteworthy statistic: six in ten respondents actually admit they would be lost without their TV set.
So, besides screen quality, what else annoys people most often while watching TV? Sound quality and glares on the screen were the most frequently listed annoyances by respondents. Other common annoyances included other people talking while a show is on, and others asking annoying questions while a program is on.
Between traditional cable, smart television apps, and streaming services, viewers today have never had more choices of what to watch. Interestingly, the survey actually found that many people (15%) tend to get frustrated by having too many options. On that note, the average adult will spend 2,943 hours of their life just deciding what to watch!
The survey was conducted by OnePoll.