channel surfing

Using a television remote to switch often from channel to channel, usually looking for a worthwhile program. "Channel surfing" generally means bored, passive, almost motionless TV consumption—the development of the remote meant that the viewer no longer had to rise from the couch to change channels.

The origins of  "channel surfing" are unclear, but the phrase became popular in the mid-1980s, due in part to the rise of cable TV, which offered the viewer dozens—then hundreds—of channel choice...