Curing Boredom: Internet or TV?

Which should you turn to when you’re bored out of your skull: TV or the internet?

Points for the Internet
-There is always something to do online. Each Wikipedia page has links to check out, there’s always another funny video on Youtube, and there are News Feed updates to read on Facebook. You can waste hours online.

-The internet gives you a chance to respond to what you see—you get to rant and rave at annoying people to their (virtual) faces. When you're watching TV, though, you just end up talking to your dog about why the TV commentators are stupid.

-The internet gives you control over your entertainment. You can check out weird obsessive stuff that’s only of interest to you and seven other people on the planet. TV shows have to appeal to tons of people to stay on the air, so sometimes they water down the jokes or their smarts and end up pleasing no one in an attempt to please everyone.

-Internet is better for late night boredom—you can surf away in silence instead of having to watch the TV at a low volume and straining to hear every word.

-The internet has SparkLife.

-It’s easy to pretend you're doing something productive on the computer when your parent walks in: simply pull up the New York Times or something educational the moment they step in the room. If you try to switch TV channels suddenly, however, they might wonder when you started watching The Golden Girls.

-You (usually) don’t have to sit through commercials while online.

Points for Television

-There are no annoying pop-up ads on TV.

-There are no rollover ads that cover the ENTIRE screen with dancing cartoons and unexpectedly loud advertisements.

-You can watch TV with your fingers covered in chip grease. Sure, you could surf the web with greasy fingers . . . if you want your keyboard to feel like the floor of a movie theater.

-TV is more user-friendly. You switch to a channel and get instant gratification. But if your internet connection slows down, you have to wait two minutes for a stupid page to load. By the time it does, you’ve probably thrown the entire machine out the window anyway.

- Good TV shows have story arcs and characters you care about. Sure, there are some web series and online fiction, but no one cries when a web series ends. Series finales, on the other hand . . . we’re not admitting anything, but let’s just say we don't judge people who bawl hysterically when a beloved show comes to a close.

-Your TV won’t freeze up. Watching the swirling rainbow peppermint on a Mac or the hourglass on a PC is one of the punishments in Dante’s Inferno, right?

-If you watch Animal Planet, your cat may try to attack the TV, which is cute. On the other hand, your cat may try to attack the computer's mouse, which is also cute. This may be a draw in terms of cuteness.

Which do you think is a better cure for boredom? Are pop-up ads or TV commercials worse? And where does watching TV online fit in?