Oureverydayexistenceisdividedintotwophases,asdistinctasdayandnight.
Weworksomanyhoursaday,andwhenwehaveallowedthenecessaryminimumforsuchactivitiesaseatingandshopping,therestwespendinvariousactivitieswhichareknownasrecreations,anelegantwordwhichdisguisesthefactthatweusuallydonotevenplayinourhoursofleisure,butspendtheminvariousformsofpassiveenjoymentorentertainment—notplayingfootballbutwatchingfootballmatches;notacting,buttheatre-going;notwalking,butridinginamotorcoach.
Thereforeweneedtodefineclearlythedifferencenotonlybetweenworkandplaybut,equally,betweenactiveplayandpassiveentertainment.
Itis,Isuppose,thedeclineofactiveplay—ofamateursport—andtheenormousgrowthofpurelyreceptiveentertainmentwhichhasgivenrisetoasociologicalinterestintheproblem.
Ifthegreaterpartofthepopulation,insteadofindulginginsport,spendtheirhoursofleisure“viewing”televisionprogrammes,therewillinevitablybeadeclineinhealthandphysique.
Andinaddition,therewillbeapsychologicalproblem,forwehaveyettotracethementalandmoralconsequencesofaprolongeddietofsentimentalorsensationalspectaclesonthescreen.
Thereis,ifweareoptimistic,thepossibilitythatthedietistoothinandnotnourishingenoughtohavemuchpermanenteffectonanybody.
Ninefilmsoutoftenseemtoleaveabsolutelynoimpressiononthemindorimaginationofthosewhoseethem:fewpeoplecangiveacoherentaccountofthefilmtheysawtheweekbeforelast,andatlongerintervalstheymustrelyonthemanagementtoseethattheydonotsitthroughthesamefilmtwice.