Showbiz 7’s: Seven reasons why people watch TV

Jimy Tallal may be the world's only television audience psychologist. Over the past 17 years she has listened to thousands of people talk about why they watch television as a psychological analyst at her husband Scott's television market research company INSITE Media Research. Mrs. Tallal is shy and didn't want to get on the phone with us, but she helped her husband Scott come up with a list of seven reasons why people watch television. Both Tallals would like you to know that the following list is in no particular order and that the reasons people watch television often depends on the time of day and the type of programming. That being said, here are a few general rules.

1. Relaxation. "There is a tremendous need for relaxation, especially from the evening viewer. One of the reasons interactive news has never taken off is that at the end of the day you are tired. You don't want to have to hunt down what stories you want to read, no matter how easy it is to aggregate stuff on the web."
   
   
2. Emotional Engagement. "When you watch TV you are usually watching people you have seen before. Although intellectually we understand they are not in the living room with us, the psychological response we have to seeing a familiar actor on the TV is the same as when we see a friend or a loved one in real life. The same areas of the brain are activated."
   
   
3. Time Waster. "Some people just want to kill time so they turn on the TV and flip around until they find something they want to watch."
   
   
4. Curiosity/Anticipation. "People watch TV to know what happens next. This applies to news, like who fathered Anna Nicole's baby, where will she be buried, how did she die, or whether Libby getting convicted is going to lead to further investigations at the White House, or am I watching 'Lost' or 'Heroes.' I want to know what is going to happen next, that goes into all forms of television programming that is serialized in some fashion."
   
   
5. Companionship. "People go into a hotel room and universally the second they do after turning on the light is turn on the TV. Watching TV can give you a sense of connection to the world."
   
   
6. Water Cooler Factor. "You watch both the news and popular programs so you can go to work the next day and talk about what happened on 'CSI' or 'American Idol.'
   
   
7. And Obviously… "People have a desire to be both entertained and informed."