DO YOU SURF OR BROWSE?

I am not sure, but I think that this qualifies for my first, pure, twenty-first century thought.  It is a question of language, true, but also a question of perception.  Hang in there now and let's try to work through this together.  You all know that I am somewhat of a language geek.  


Starting from there, listen to my quandary here.
Why do we surf Television channels and browse internet sites?  As I wrote this, I got a mental lightning bolt reminding me that I do not remember what we called impulsive radio dialers in the days before television.  I won't camp on that question because, after all, that is a 2oth century behavioral aberration that doesn't affect us at this point.
You have to admit that language is a strange thing.  I don't have any desire at all to indulge in a George Carlin-esque discussion here starting with the "Driveway vs. Parkway" conumdrum.  No, this is a bone fide thought that attracted my attention today.  I think I may have an opinion about why there is a difference.  Of course, my opinion might be somewhat more philosophical than what the reality places before us.
It is possible to surf television channels because the image of the source is more easily experienced and judged than that of the transmitted reality on the Internet.  It is more of a surface experience than that of the Internet stimulus.  Therefore, it is a quicker and much more reflexive response than that caused by the Internet.
The Internet image requires more time to digest and to judge than the image of the television set.  The internet generally requires more reading and comprehension than the television.  So, stock has to be taken of the presentation before the mouse clicker decides to move on to something else.  The Internet then, requires a longer mental scan than the television transmission.
That's the one side of the story.
There is also the consideration of the intention of the user.  The television viewer is seeking release, relaxation, escape.  The Internet user is seeking engagement, challenge and presence.  The two attitudes are diametrically opposed, and therefore require two different words as their identifiers.  
So there, I rest my case.
Wow!  I'll bet that there isn't a single humorous line in the whole thing.  Besides, I sure hope that my Summa cum Laude Harvard Graduate nephew is not looking over my shoulder on this one.
No doubt you had to struggle through this.  Good for you that it's only 403 words.