channel surfing

Idioms and Phrases

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.

Example Sentences

The viewer had to opt in to be engaged, the virtual equivalent of someone channel-surfing in hopes of finding a political ad.

From The Daily Beast

But if one person's channel surfing and the other's disinterested, go right ahead and browse.

From The Daily Beast