Oureverydayexistenceisdividedintotwophases,asdistinctasdayandnight.Wecallthemworkandplay.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.