Derek Thompson

But one thing they allow you to do is to move away from other people. It allows people to move to the suburbs. They can privatize their leisure time, spend more time alone in their own backyards, less time around other people. Okay, maybe not a huge, enormous crisis. But then comes the television set. And when you add the car and the television set, then the following thing happens.

But one thing they allow you to do is to move away from other people. It allows people to move to the suburbs. They can privatize their leisure time, spend more time alone in their own backyards, less time around other people. Okay, maybe not a huge, enormous crisis. But then comes the television set. And when you add the car and the television set, then the following thing happens.

But one thing they allow you to do is to move away from other people. It allows people to move to the suburbs. They can privatize their leisure time, spend more time alone in their own backyards, less time around other people. Okay, maybe not a huge, enormous crisis. But then comes the television set. And when you add the car and the television set, then the following thing happens.

Between the 1960s and 1990s, the average American adds about six hours of leisure time per week. We work a little bit less. Which is awesome. Think about all the things you could do at that time. So what could you do at that time? You could learn a new language. You could read books. You could go out with friends more. You could watch more movies in movie theaters.

Between the 1960s and 1990s, the average American adds about six hours of leisure time per week. We work a little bit less. Which is awesome. Think about all the things you could do at that time. So what could you do at that time? You could learn a new language. You could read books. You could go out with friends more. You could watch more movies in movie theaters.

Between the 1960s and 1990s, the average American adds about six hours of leisure time per week. We work a little bit less. Which is awesome. Think about all the things you could do at that time. So what could you do at that time? You could learn a new language. You could read books. You could go out with friends more. You could watch more movies in movie theaters.

You could learn how to play pickup basketball with your friends more. What did we do instead? We devoted basically all that time to TV. I think something like 90% of that time was spent just watching TV. It was almost as if we invented a technology that tapped into human beings' latent desire to become audience members.

You could learn how to play pickup basketball with your friends more. What did we do instead? We devoted basically all that time to TV. I think something like 90% of that time was spent just watching TV. It was almost as if we invented a technology that tapped into human beings' latent desire to become audience members.

You could learn how to play pickup basketball with your friends more. What did we do instead? We devoted basically all that time to TV. I think something like 90% of that time was spent just watching TV. It was almost as if we invented a technology that tapped into human beings' latent desire to become audience members.

As if underneath everything that there is in a human being, at the very bottom of it is, we just want entertainment. I mean, I guess we're just going to keep plagiarizing Neil Postman here. We just want to be entertained. And so the television just served this enormous need for the typical American to relax into their leisure time, to have sedentary rather than active leisure time.

As if underneath everything that there is in a human being, at the very bottom of it is, we just want entertainment. I mean, I guess we're just going to keep plagiarizing Neil Postman here. We just want to be entertained. And so the television just served this enormous need for the typical American to relax into their leisure time, to have sedentary rather than active leisure time.

As if underneath everything that there is in a human being, at the very bottom of it is, we just want entertainment. I mean, I guess we're just going to keep plagiarizing Neil Postman here. We just want to be entertained. And so the television just served this enormous need for the typical American to relax into their leisure time, to have sedentary rather than active leisure time.

So you have this force of the car, followed by the force of the television set. And then in many ways, I think the digital revolution, for all of its wonders, and there are true wonders, many of them that it has, it made it even easier for us to choose, select the conveniences of solitude. I could go out to dinner with friends, or let's be honest, I could order in.

So you have this force of the car, followed by the force of the television set. And then in many ways, I think the digital revolution, for all of its wonders, and there are true wonders, many of them that it has, it made it even easier for us to choose, select the conveniences of solitude. I could go out to dinner with friends, or let's be honest, I could order in.

So you have this force of the car, followed by the force of the television set. And then in many ways, I think the digital revolution, for all of its wonders, and there are true wonders, many of them that it has, it made it even easier for us to choose, select the conveniences of solitude. I could go out to dinner with friends, or let's be honest, I could order in.

I could go out to a movie with friends, or let's be honest, I could watch Netflix. And there's nothing wrong with DoorDash. And there's nothing wrong with Netflix. But scaled over time and throughout the country, decision by decision, Americans are spending more and more of their time and more of their choices are to privatize their leisure.

I could go out to a movie with friends, or let's be honest, I could watch Netflix. And there's nothing wrong with DoorDash. And there's nothing wrong with Netflix. But scaled over time and throughout the country, decision by decision, Americans are spending more and more of their time and more of their choices are to privatize their leisure.

I could go out to a movie with friends, or let's be honest, I could watch Netflix. And there's nothing wrong with DoorDash. And there's nothing wrong with Netflix. But scaled over time and throughout the country, decision by decision, Americans are spending more and more of their time and more of their choices are to privatize their leisure.

And that's brought us to this point, this mountain of forces with the car and then the television set and then the digital revolution.

And that's brought us to this point, this mountain of forces with the car and then the television set and then the digital revolution.