A new study has indicated that even temporary "break-ups" in one's favourite television programs can be distressing for some people. But for those who think that less time spent with the media may be a good thing for some people, the results may be disappointing.
A new study has indicated that even temporary "break-ups" in one's favourite television programs can be distressing for some people.
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But for those who think that less time spent with the media may be a good thing for some people, the results may be disappointing.
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"Some people believe TV isolates people and takes them away from more social activities, but our results suggest that may not be the case," said Emily Moyer-Guse, assistant professor of communication at Ohio State University and co-author of the study.
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"Many viewers simply replaced their normal TV viewing with other media activities. They weren't using the opportunity to start exercising or spend more time with friends or family," he added.
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The study involved 403 undergraduate college students who completed an online questionnaire in the spring of 2008 during the television writers' strike.
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Results showed that that people who reported stronger "relationships" with their favorite characters also reported more distress when their programs temporarily went off the air for the strike.
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"We found that people who primarily watched television for companionship were the ones who felt the most distressed by temporarily losing their programs," added Moyer-Guse.
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The study has been published in the journal Mass Communication and Society.
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