Recent research by Keig and Co, reported in the Herald by David Dale, shows that, on average, a mere 36 per cent of viewers who dip into a TV program end up watching the whole show. When people find themselves stuck with a TV program or even a personal conversation that seems to be flagging, they mentally reach for the remote control wand. I once heard a mother hit back. There was a terrible want of logic in it, but it silenced the child. But, on reflection, perhaps she was right.
Nothing is quite as tedious as a person who needs constant stimulation.