I wonder if TV hinders economic growth and development. In so far as urbanization goes, the story that I was told in Urban Economics was that as farming product

I wonder if TV hinders economic growth and development. In so far as urbanization goes, the story that I was told in Urban Economics was that as farming productivity went up, the opportunity cost of time went down and so people took up other trades in addition to farming. When an hour less of farm work didn't mean starvation anymore, people had the time to sew, bake, build, etc. And over time, things which were probably hobbies developed from cottage industries to actual industries. What entertainment does is drive the opportunity cost of time back up by increasing the pleasurableness of leisure time. Now, that probably isn't much of an issue for actual underdeveloped countries. I don't think anyone would prefer to sew their own clothes when they can buy perfectly fine ones for a lower price unless they're obsessed with self-reliance, and no one is missing out on these homemade goods either. But in a society where it's plausible that a hobbist might produce some really neat stuff on their own, encouraging passive entertainment might mean some less neat gadgets in the long run.