Television diffusion intensified social comparison and increased life dissatisfaction.

Evidence

For most of human history, people lived in small enclaves and were typically surrounded by others very much like themselves. Social comparisons with little variation are unlikely to entail great psychological risk. Research suggests that the diffusion of television in the second half of the twentieth century dramatically increased the intensity and negativity of social comparison, as it brought vivid evidence of varied and more-affluent lives dramatically different from one’s own. One study found an increase in criminal larceny as television diffused across society, awakening an awareness of and desire for consumer goods. A related issue was that increased exposure to television programs depicting affluence led to “the overestimation of others’ wealth and more dissatisfaction with one’s own life.” — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 1471

Categorization

• XREF: Parallels with the sociology of mass media effects and relative-deprivation theory. — connects to: Heavy television viewing cultivates fear of victimization and distrust of others. — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement: How People Do Harm…, 785; Mass media consumption can harm mental states and distort perceptions of reality — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 663; Television privaatizes leisure even in group settings meant for sociability — Robert D. Putnam, Bowling Alone The Collapse and Revival…, 849

Broader Connections

• Heavy television viewing cultivates fear of victimization and distrust of others. #expands (0.80) — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 785
• Mass media consumption can harm mental states and distort perceptions of reality #corroborates (0.75) — Green, Todd H, The Fear of Islam_ An Introduction to…, 663