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Americans feel more stressed than ever, but data shows more free time and steadily high rates of happiness.

Analysis of early time-diary studies suggests that television has had more impact on daily time than any other household technology in the past century. In the United States, viewing time has steadily increased from roughly ten weekly hours in the 1960s to sixteen hours today, encompassing almost half of all "free time" reported in the diaries. A prominent recent TV casualty has been time spent reading the newspaper, providing further support for the functional equivalence argument. This article shows that, so far at least, viewing time seems little affected by the Internet and other recent new technologies. Studies of the public's satisfaction with various activities suggest that viewers find TV to be more enjoyable in the doing rather than in general, even though it may not be particularly challenging or demanding of concentration. Viewing time is also shown to be significantly related to long-term personal unhappiness.

Analysis of early time-diary studies suggests that television has had more impact on daily time than any other household technology in the past century. In the United States, viewing time has steadily increased from roughly ten weekly hours in the 1960s to sixteen hours today, encompassing almost half of all 'free time' reported in the diaries. A prominent recent TV casualty has been time spent reading the newspaper, providing further support for the functional equivalence argument. This article shows that, so far at least, viewing time seems little affected by the Internet and other recent new technologies. Studies of the public's satisfaction with various activities suggest that viewers find TV to be more enjoyable in the doing rather than in general, even though it may not be particularly challenging or demanding of concentration. Viewing time is also shown to be significantly related to long-term personal unhappiness. [Reprinted by permission of Sage Publications Inc., copyright The American Academy of Political and Social Science.]

Self-administered questionnaire surveys completed 1988-1991 by samples of Soviet youth in 5 cities of the Russian Republic, & as exchange students in the US (total N = 2,693), were used to explore changes in their perceptions of problems in their own country & in the US. Analysis reveals that growing disillusionment with worsening domestic conditions was mirrored by a growing, unrealistic appreciation of life in the US, reflecting a painful search for a new national identity. 3 Tables, 3 References.