We knew it would happen some day. Finally, a study that says
watching TV can be good for you. It seems vegging in front of
television can give you an energy boost. So says the author of a
study published recently in the journal Social Psychological and
Personality Science that used two different scenarios to
demonstrate her thesis. But not any shows will work—just re-runs
of favorite shows in which watching familiar characters is like
hanging out with good friends, if your friends were less judgey
and annoying and probably dressed better. OK, onto the study
particulars: In one set-up, half of the participants were asked
to complete a complicated writing task, while the others were
asked to do a similar, but much easier task. Next, half of the
study group wrote about their favorite TV show, while the other
half listed items found in their room. Those who wrote about
their favorite shows wrote for a longer period if they had just
done the more complicated task than if they had completed the
simpler task. Also,