“Flow” is not the typical addictive video game, with a dopamine reward cycle. It’s when you do something hard, satisfying, and you are good enough to relax into doing that hard thing. Aptly-named “flowy” mountain bike trails are a great example.
It’s not sustainable over many hours because it is hard, and you have to come up for air. But you feel whole, well, satisfied, in doing it.
It feels a little self congratulatory for flow to only be for people who only do hard things, though it might support the feeling of satisfaction.
First the definition of hard is already difficult to define across people and activities. From a happiness standpoint, I don't see why a simple or easy focus couldn't also induce a state of flow if they were in the moment and enjoyed it.
In a way, being entranced in a TV show is a state of flow. Society just has shame built into the idea of wasting time due to the scarcity of our environment.
Flow has nothing to do with what other people define as hard. It’s fundamentally personal. Flow is a task that is hard enough for you that it is still work, but you are skilled enough you can do it masterfully. It’s when you think to yourself in the moment, ”yeah OK this is not easy, but damn, I’m GOOD at this! This is fun!”
Watching TV is unlikely to reach a flow state for you because I doubt you personally find watching TV challenging. Of course, if you did find it challenging, you could perhaps reach that state.
It’s not sustainable over many hours because it is hard, and you have to come up for air. But you feel whole, well, satisfied, in doing it.