Unhappiness and TV linked

We all want our kids to grow up to be happy individuals. Yet, everytime I tell them "No, you can't watch TV for another consecutive hour. Get up, go to the door, and discover the oxygen outside this house," they balk. Like breathe fresh air, people, and stop begging me to fulfill your digital addiction (slight hypocrasy aside - I mean I live from my computer work, ok?)

Thanks be to John P. Robinson and sociologist pal Steven Martin. No joke. After culling through 34 years of time-diary data, they discovered what we moms already know.

Unhappy people watch more TV.

Now, that's not to say that TV makes you unhappy. I've been known to hunker down once a week to watch my reality show about young singing talents behind the scenes. TV consumption just has no lasting benefits (and if you've ever indulged in too many chips while watching the playoffs, you'll know which lasting effects that can have on you...).

So I'm back to my point about limiting my kids' TV viewing. It doesn't make you happy. And neither do the false advertising promises fulfill their long-term vision of what happy people look like.

Amen John P. and company. Glad to know you're on our side.