Millions of Americans, and no doubt many more millions of people around the world, believe that television viewing can be addictive. Although only 2 percent and 12.5 percent of American adults in two separate surveys believed that they were addicted, 65 percent to 70 percent believed that others were addicted (McIlwraith, 1990; McIlwraith, Jacobvitz, Kubey, and Alexander, 1991). Many millions more appear to experience some misgiving about how much they view. According to a 1990 Gallup poll, 42 percent of adult Americans reported spending "too much time watching television"—up from 31 percent in the late 1970s.

Although it is tempting to use a term such as "addiction" when referring to individuals who report more than sixty hours of viewing each week, the term connotes different things to different people, and it is likely that less confusion will result if more care is taken in the choice of words.

The prime diagnostic manual...