channel surfing

Idioms  

1. Switching from one television station (channel) to another frequently, either to search for an interesting program or to keep track of several programs at once. For example, What did you see on TV last night?—Nothing much; I was just channel surfing. The term transfers the surfer's search for good waves to the viewer's search for programs. This practice became widespread with the use of remote-control devices for changing channels while remaining seated some distance from the television set. [1980s] A 1990s version is Internet surfing, a similar process for searching cyberspace.

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Example Sentences

Discovery’s channels have long been mainstays of the television landscape and frequent destinations for viewers during an earlier era of channel surfing.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 8, 2024

If I see myself in a film I did when I am channel surfing, I remember what I was doing that day.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2023

One is over-the-air television — by offering free TV on demand, YouTube is likely hoping that you’ll see what’s available on its platform instead of channel surfing to see what else might be on.

From The Verge • Mar. 23, 2022

Seattle night owls channel surfing this week might catch a familiar face on “Late Night With Seth Meyers.”

From Seattle Times • Oct. 7, 2021

The Next Day After a night of channel surfing and back-to-back reruns of Star Trek, the morning sun rushes in courtesy of the nurse raising the blinds.

From "Booked" by Kwame Alexander