Is watching TV a waste of time?

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Watching TV is often criticized for its potential negative effects on physical health and productivity. Brad Barrett and Jonathan Mendosa discussed in their podcast "ChooseFI" how individuals who spend prolonged periods staring at screens, including watching TV, can experience a decrease in their metabolic rate below the resting basal state. This emphasizes the hypnotic state and metabolic slowdown that can result, providing a negative impact on physical health 1. They also highlighted that, according to their observations, the average American family watches about 4.3 hours of TV daily and then struggles with feelings of chronic busyness 2.

However, there's more to consider than just the negative aspects. TV watching can fit into different seasons of life, suggesting that it can be managed to minimize negative impacts 2. Additionally, TV watching doesn't have to be inherently negative if it's done in moderation and selected carefully to include meaningful or educational content.

Screen Time Metabolism

Jonathan shares a study that shows how staring at screens for long periods of time can put individuals in a hypnotic state and decrease their metabolic rate even lower than their resting basal metabolic rate. This could explain why desk jockeys or individuals who spend a lot of time in front of screens tend to gain weight. Brad and Jonathan discuss the importance of experiencing seasonality and hormesis.

ChooseFI

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