People who leave the TV on while doing errands at home usually display these 8 behaviors, says psychology

Most people don’t think twice about flicking the TV on before heading into the kitchen, folding laundry, or sorting the mail. It feels like background noise, nothing more.

But psychology suggests that little habit says more about your personality than you’d expect.

Here are eight common behaviors linked to the people who leave the TV running while they’re busy doing something else.

Let’s dive in.

1. You crave stimulation

Some people can’t stand silence. They want sound, movement, or chatter in the background, even when they’re not paying attention.

Psychologists call this “sensory stimulation seeking.” It’s not always about watching the actual show—it’s about creating a feeling of aliveness in your space.

Think of it like adding spices to a dish. The food is fine without them, but the extra layer makes the experience richer. For some, that “flavor” is the constant background noise of the TV.

I’ve noticed this myself when I’m editing photos. Music works for me, but for friends of mine, the TV hum does the trick. It’s less about distraction and more about avoiding that eerie quiet that makes you hyper-aware of every little noise, like the hum of the fridge or the tick of the clock.

Psychologist John Eastwood has noted that “boredom arises when we’re left without external stimulation, pushing the brain to search for input.” In that sense, the TV isn’t about watching—it’s about satisfying that craving for constant input.

2. You multitask by default

Do you ever find yourself doing three things at once and not realizing it? If the TV’s always on while you’re running errands around the house, chances are you’re comfortable juggling multiple streams of information at once.

As noted by researcher David Meyer, an expert on attention at the University of Michigan, “Our minds are naturally inclined to split attention, even if it comes at a cost to efficiency.”

It doesn’t mean you’re the world’s best multitasker. In fact, studies show multitasking usually lowers productivity. But it does mean you’re wired to tolerate and maybe even enjoy switching gears constantly.

I once watched a friend cook dinner while chatting on the phone and keeping a TV show playing in the background. To me it looked overwhelming. To him, it was just a normal evening. Some people feel more balanced when their environment is full of overlapping signals, like a DJ mixing tracks.

And it makes sense: leaving the TV on while doing chores is just one small example of a bigger tendency to layer activities and stimuli together.

3. You like a sense of company

Here’s a question: do you ever feel like the house is too empty without noise?

Leaving the TV on is often about simulating presence. It creates the illusion of companionship—voices in the air, dialogue floating around—even when you’re alone.

There’s a psychological term for this: parasocial interaction. It’s the one-sided relationship people form with media figures, characters, or even just the sound of voices. It doesn’t replace real human interaction, but it scratches the itch of social connection.

When I traveled through Europe years ago, I noticed how common it was for people in small flats to keep a radio or TV going in the background. It wasn’t about the program. It was about warmth and connection, however artificial.

And honestly, I get it. When I used to live alone, silence at night sometimes felt too heavy. A talk show rerun playing in the background wasn’t company in the traditional sense, but it made the space feel less lonely.

4. You lean toward habit and routine

People who switch on the TV without thinking are usually the same people who have “autopilot” routines. It’s a ritual: coffee in the morning, keys in the same bowl, TV humming while you sweep the floor.

Habits anchor us. They make life more predictable. And in psychology, predictability equals comfort.

As Charles Duhigg wrote in The Power of Habit, “Habits, scientists say, emerge because the brain is constantly looking for ways to save effort.” That background noise may be less about choice and more about an ingrained loop.

Think about how many people automatically check their phones as soon as they wake up. The TV is similar: it’s less about deliberate choice and more about running a familiar script.

I’ve noticed that people who build these little rituals often stick with them for years, even decades. That continuity can be a source of stability in a chaotic world. The hum of the TV isn’t just background—it’s part of the rhythm of daily life.

5. You resist boredom

Some people would rather do almost anything than be bored. If you’re the type who always has something playing, it could be your way of keeping monotony at bay.

Psychologists link this to low boredom tolerance or boredom susceptibility, a trait where the mind craves novelty and finds mundane tasks unbearable. It doesn’t mean you lack focus—your mind simply finds monotony intolerable.

Think about it: folding towels in silence versus folding towels while a sitcom laugh track bounces in the background. One feels like drudgery, the other feels slightly lighter.

There’s a striking study to illustrate this: participants were asked to sit alone with their thoughts for 6 to 15 minutes—no phones, no distractions.

Yet more than half chose to administer electric shocks to themselves just to break the silence. Remarkably, 67% of men and 25% of women did this, even when they’d previously said they’d pay to avoid such shocks.

In that sense, leaving the TV on isn’t about laziness—it’s about self-preservation. It transforms boring tasks into something more tolerable.

6. You are emotionally self-regulating

Background TV can double as an emotional thermostat.

When you’re stressed, anxious, or wound up, that steady stream of voices and sound can smooth the edges. 

Research by psychologists at the University at Buffalo supports this idea: people watching their favorite television shows reported feeling less lonely and more connected, even when no one else was around—thanks to parasocial “relationships” with fictional characters providing a sense of belonging.

I’ve mentioned this before, but when I was going through a hectic period at work, I found myself leaving documentaries playing while I cooked. I wasn’t really absorbing the facts. But something about the steady narration helped me calm down.

One friend of mine uses old sitcoms the same way. She says the laugh tracks and familiar storylines act like a “soft blanket” for her brain after a draining day.

This aligns with what psychologist Jonathan Cohen has said about media use: “People often return to the same shows or genres because they offer emotional stability and comfort.”

So when the TV’s on in the background, it might not be entertainment at all—it’s regulation.

7. You prefer external focus

Not everyone likes being left alone with their thoughts. Some of us naturally look outward for focus instead of inward.

Turning on the TV while you’re doing something else is an easy way to keep your attention tethered to the outside world. It helps reduce overthinking, rumination, or self-critical loops.

As media psychologist Mary Beth Oliver has said, “Entertainment often provides psychological benefits beyond relaxation—it helps regulate thoughts and emotions.”

That’s why the hum of a TV show can feel like a buffer against negative thought spirals. It pulls your awareness outward, letting you keep moving without sinking too deep into your head.

I see this especially in people who describe themselves as “thinkers” or “worriers.” For them, the TV is less about distraction and more about balance. It’s like tying a kite to a stake so it doesn’t drift away.

8. You adapt to modern noise culture

Finally, leaving the TV on might just be a reflection of the times.

We live in a world of constant alerts, pings, podcasts, and feeds. Silence feels foreign. The TV becomes one more background layer in an already noisy life.

When I visited Japan, I noticed cafes intentionally played background chatter recordings to create an atmosphere. That’s how common and accepted noise culture has become. It’s not about distraction—it’s about feeling “in sync” with modern living.

The truth is, many of us have trained our brains to feel uneasy without some form of noise. It doesn’t mean we’re broken—it just means we’ve adapted to a different baseline.

And while older generations might see constant noise as overstimulation, for people raised with tech, it’s often just the norm.

The bottom line

Leaving the TV on while you move around the house isn’t random—it’s tied to deeper behavioral patterns.

Whether it’s craving stimulation, resisting boredom, or creating the illusion of company, the habit says something about the way you regulate emotions and interact with your environment.

So next time you hit that remote, ask yourself: what’s driving me here—silence, stress, or simply comfort?

There’s no wrong answer. Just a deeper layer of self-understanding hiding in plain sight.