Sometimes the desire isn't to watch some specific show. It is to have the experience of sitting on the couch and watching something good on tv. This is why people channel surf, or scroll through netflix's collection. You want to have the experience of watching something. The goal is to be stimulated, to cure your momentary boredom.

I have the same experience with youtube, reddit and HN. I don't really know what I expect to see when I open the HN front page. If I knew, I'd navigate to that site directly. But I know I'll see something on HN. Maybe something that catches my eye.

Netflix is just the same. "I'm in the mood to watch a documentary. Let's see what they've got."

  > "I'm in the mood to watch a documentary. Let's see what they've got."

I knit. Sometimes I just want to be watching something, while doing that. The goal isn't to watch a specific show, but to have something to watch, while I let my hands do the work.

The primary activity is sitting and holding my partner. I can and do happily do that without secondary entertainment, but it doesn't take any concentration so why not add a show in to the mix.

> So why do some people (lots of people actually) feel compelled to sit in front of the television to watch something?

Because I have kids, an active life, and a lot of physical hobbies and activities.

And some times it’s 10PM, too early for bed, too tired from a busy day, and I’m looking to relax and enjoy a show with my wife for an hour.

I said two hours per week because that’s about how much it ends up being. The fact that this is attracting criticism and even a sister comment calling me “addicted” is bizarre. What even is the goal here? Shaming people for relaxing and enjoying things? Feeling a smug sense of superiority over others for their consumption choices during down time?

Is it lost on you that these criticisms are coming in the comments section of a social news site where people waste a lot of time?

GP is addicted and can’t see it.