Nearly two thirds (60 percent) of Brits have eaten their dinner while using a laptop or PC, says SeeSaw.

Research by the online catch-up service revealed 15 percent admit they've watched TV on their PC or laptop while eating, a fad that SeeSaw calls 'PC Dinners'.

A third of those surveyed admitted they were more likely to eat their dinner while using a laptop or PC now then they were a year ago. Furthermore, 23 percent claim their PC has replaced the TV as their main source of evening entertainment while Come Dine with Me was named the most watched show while eating dinner.

''Millions of British people cannot tear themselves away from the internet, even for dinner. The growth of the PC dinner is a remarkable new trend and for many across the nation, has now replaced the traditional TV dinner," said John Keeling, platform controller for SeeSaw.

"The relentless growth of technology means that Brits now enjoy many of their programmes online and who better to eat your evening meal with than Jeremy Clarkson or the cast of EastEnders?"

http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.c ... ID=3263899

It's not about tearing myself away, I'm just more often than not reading something while I'm eating (depending on who you believe that's a bad thing to do or makes next to no difference)... If the net has affected anything it's probably my attention span , what about you?

Yep 'fraid so, I like to watch something whilst eating and the internets has many-a more entertaining programme than the TV does.

pardon did you say something


I will stop playing on the laptop to eat dinner, for one my wife would probably lump me one if I carried on but if my wife is out I will graze whilst surfing.

In my bachelor’s days I would eat while trying to play on the Play Station, my dinner would last an hour or so with me ending up eating it cold…

We're killing ourselves!:

Tech before bedtime robs people of sleep

Dependence on televisions, mobile phones and laptops may be costing Americans dearly - in lack of sleep.

The national penchant for watching television every evening before going to sleep, playing videogames late into the night or checking emails and text messages before turning off the lights could be interfering with the nation's sleep habits.

"Unfortunately, cell phones and computers, which make our lives more productive and enjoyable, may be abused to the point that they contribute to getting less sleep at night leaving millions of Americans functioning poorly the next day," Russell Rosenberg, the vice chairman of the Washington DC-based National Sleep Foundation (NSF), said in a statement.

Invasion of such alerting technologies into the bedroom may contribute to the high proportion of respondents who reported they routinely get less sleep than they need

Almost 95% of people questioned in an NSF study said they used some type of electronics in the hour before going to bed, and about two-thirds admitted they don't get enough sleep during the week.

Charles Czeisler, of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, said exposure to artificial light before going to bed can increase alertness and suppress the release of melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone.

"Technology has invaded the bedroom," Czeisler explained. "Invasion of such alerting technologies into the bedroom may contribute to the high proportion of respondents who reported they routinely get less sleep than they need."

Baby boomers, or people aged 46-64 years old, were the biggest offenders of watching television every night before going to sleep, while more than a third of 13-18 year-olds and 28% of 19-29 year olds played videogames before bedtime.

Sixty one per cent also said they used their computer or laptop at least a few nights each week.

Woken up

And a propensity to stay in touch means that even people who have managed to fall asleep, are being woken up by mobile phones, texts and emails during the night.

"One in 10 kids report they are being awoken by texts after they have gone to bed. People don't turn off their BlackBerrys," said Czeisler, adding that much of this is happening at the expense of sleep.

Generation Z'ers, 13-18 year olds, were the most sleep-deprived group, with 22% describing themselves as "sleepy," compared to only 9% of baby boomers.

Sleep experts recommend that teenagers get nine hours and 15 minutes of sleep a night, but adolescents in the study were only averaging 7 hours and 26 minutes on weeknights.

"I am the most concerned about how little sleep 13-18 years are getting," said Czeisler. "Kids today are getting an hour and a half to two hours less sleep per night than they did a century ago. That means that they are losing about 50 hours of sleep per month," said Czeisler.

Americans' lack of sleep is negatively impacting their work, mood, family, driving habits, sex lives and health, according to the NSF.

All age groups are coping by consuming caffeinated drinks - about three 12-ounce (354 ml) beverages per person - per day, and taking naps, sometimes more than one during the day.

"Parents should get these technologies out of the bedrooms of kids if they want them to do well [in school]," said Czeisler.

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/365740/tech ... e-of-sleep

Of course that's Yank-centric, but make of it what you will... Personally, if I've eaten or drunk too much anyway, I might as well be doing something interesting

It gets worse:

UK's TV habits revealed: we're watching more than we think

Doctor Who claims most time-shifted viewing

How much TV is too much TV?
It's easy to while away the hours in front of the goggle box, but new research from TV Licensing suggests that we're watching more than we think.

Adults in Britain told the researchers that they watch less than 20 hours of television a week, on average.

However, the Broadcaster's Audience Research Board bit their thumbs at the UK's adults, whipping out cold hard stats that show the actual figure is more than 30 hours a week.

What this means it that we're watching more than one full day of non-stop TV in a week – that's a whole lot ofMy Big Fat Gypsy Weddingaction and perhaps something to be a little ashamed of.

http://www.techradar.com/news/digital-h ... ink-933857

There isn't 30 hours of TV a week worth watching IMO

Actually, can anyone here manage 30 hours of TV a week?

I'm sure my parents do. They have no internet and they're both retired. 4 or 5 hours a night sounds about right.

I watch a few hours on Friday and Saturday night, usually music and comedy programs. There's enough on then to make you lol when you're had a few drinks to dumb your senses.

This Friday will be Blues night on BBC4 and Mock the Week on Dave ja vu, followed by Death Note on Film 4. That's over 4 hours already, and I even wont switch the TV on until well after 11pm

At the moment the only programmes I usually watch in full are How TV Ruined Your Life and 10 O'clock Live*

* Bar iPlayer throwing up something curious.

I'm guilty of this. I generally enjoy watching something whilst eating. I tried doing it in silence and all I end uo doing is eating faster.

Even before freeview, I used to watch episodes of cartoons on my lappy eg south park (how i hated real media). Still now I prefer to eat something whilst watching the latest episode of the big bang theory.