Avoiding TV and scrolling news: view information at set times instead

People in the United States aged 15 and older watch 2.6 hours of television a day, which takes up half of all their free time. In 2018, people in China watched an average of 1 hour and 40 minutes a day, and older people aged 75 to 84 watched 3 hours and 16 minutes. Switch the information you need to a set time and take it in one sitting, and what you can save is in this block.

Cost

No monetary cost. The real challenge is breaking the habit of turning on the TV at random times; you might also miss some breaking news.

Benefit

Americans aged 15 and older watch 2.6 hours of TV daily. Their total leisure time is 5.2 hours, so TV viewing consumes half of it. These figures are from 2025. In China, the average daily TV viewing time is 1 hour and 40 minutes; for those aged 75–84, it is 3 hours and 16 minutes. These numbers date back to 2018.

Notes

Only aggregate statistics are available. No studies have examined how the time saved by cutting back on TV and news viewing is actually used. The practice of viewing content at set times is based on the author’s personal experience.

Sources · 2

1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026). American Time Use Survey — 2025 Results. bls.gov/news.release/atus.nr0.htm
2. 国家统计局 (2019). 2018年全国时间利用调查公报. stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202302/t20230203_1900224…