Unhappy people spend more time watching television than their content counterparts, who are more likely to spend their spare time reading and socializing, a new study says.

In a study of nearly 30,000 adults, sociologists from the University of Maryland found that people who describe themselves as unhappy watch 20 per cent more television than those who consider themselves to be very happy.

The research also showed that self-described happy people are more socially active, attend church more often, are more likely to vote and more frequently read newspapers.

The study included data from previous research that measured how people use their time, as well as information from surveys that asked respondents how happy they feel and how much time they spend doing a number of different tasks.

The data also suggested that watching television may boost viewers' happiness in the moment but does little to improve their feelings over the long term.

"TV doesn't really seem to satisfy people over the long haul the way that social involvement or reading a newspaper does," study co-author John P. Robinson, a University of Maryland sociologist, said in a statement. "It's more passive and may provide escape - especially when the news is as depressing as the economy itself. The data suggest to us that the TV habit may offer short-run pleasure at the expense of long-term malaise."

The researchers published their findings in the December issue of the journal Social Indicators Research.

The data from time-use surveys suggests that if the ongoing worldwide financial crisis continues to worsen and people lose their jobs, television viewing may increase.

The findings showed a correlation between having more available free time and watching more television.

And it seems unhappy people have far more free time on their hands.

Fifty-one per cent said they were more likely to have unwanted extra time to fill, compared to only 19 per cent of happy people.

The researchers said that their data showed that television viewing proved an easy way for unhappy folks to fill their spare time.

Television doesn't require that a viewer dress up, leave the house, plan ahead, spend extra money or seek company, the researchers said.

When those factors are combined with the instant gratification that TV offers, it is easy to understand why television is so attractive, the researchers said.

"Addictive activities produce momentary pleasure but long-term misery and regret," study co-author Steven Martin, also a University of Maryland sociologist, said in a statement. "People most vulnerable to addiction tend to be socially or personally disadvantaged. For this kind of person, TV can become a kind of opiate in a way. It's habitual, and tuning in can be an easy way of tuning out."