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Reading up on story across cultures & thinking: ppl something pathologize modern media consumption (e.g., that avg American watches 4 hours of tv/day). But it’s unclear whether that’s abnormal for humans, at least in terms of time spent consuming narrative. (mini-thread, 1/4)
Wiessner (2014, PNAS) coded convos among !Kung Bushmen & found that 81% of nighttime conversations were devoted to stories (i.e., about known ppl & “amusing, exciting, or endearing escapades”) (another 4% were about myth). Ppl storytime'd from dinner until sleepy. (2/4) 
Similarly, ethnographies often talk about ppl filling non-work time (e.g., night, winter, rain) w/ stories. Some societies even develop supernatural beliefs punishing storytelling during impt times, presumably b/c stories are so diverting (see Tongo & Klamath screenshots). (3/4)
There are of course lots of reasons to criticize people spending 1/4 of their waking time watching TV. But the pull of amusing stories — and the time we’re willing to let ‘em eat up — might not to be as abnormal as it seems. (4/4)
