The Age of Deferral

On any given day, how much time do we actually spend in the present? How many hours are spent fawning over past predicaments and procrastinating over future failures? Even when our bodies and minds seem to be reacting to the present, I think it is interesting to consider whether our behaviour is really influenced by something else entirely.
I was watching Tiger Woods playing in(and winning) the U.S. Golf Championship on Monday and the reaction raised from a ball going in a hole was quite extraordinary. I appreciate that, for him, this was a moment to be lived in. I also know that there will be many who will shake their heads at me- I clearly do not understand. Nevertheless, my actual argument is this- as those people jumped in the air, throwing a punch of exaltation, what were they actually celebrating?
Expanding on a sporting context, we as a nation are not even in Euro 2008, yet it seems as though it is human nature to cling to whatever tenuous associations we have to a country adept enough to actually qualify and live our footballing dreams through their experience (obviously if they are knocked out, the intricate ties are strangely and abruptly severed). The psychology behind supporting a team or a player so intensely strikes me as odd. Do not misunderstand me, I'm not focusing on those who like a bet, support local talent and so on. I am really trying to get under the skin of the loony in the pub, bashing his head repeatedly against the jukebox when HIS team loses (again) on penalities.
Why do people feel the need to live their lives through the success and failure of others? Well this is where my theory comes into play. We are living in an Age of Deferral. Rather than tackle the real issues at hand, (maybe some people are so dull or apathetic that they actually have none) people would rather transfer their redundant emotions to outside elements. It is much easier to feel happy or sad about someone else's life than one's own. It also conveniently removes responsibility which, if we're honest, no one really likes.
I am aware that that many loyal sports fans will disagree with my opening assertions. Therefore, please bear in mind that these observations are merely the catalyst for further development. Take the current generation's obssession with reality television. Big Brother series infinite- every week the Great British public like to play god and control the lives of individuals, so desperate for attention, they are even willing to temporarily defer their entire lives. We villify certain contestants and praise others for doing nothing special; we waste hours and hours watching and debating their behaviour. Why are we so bothered? Because all the time we are making ethical decisions about their inconsequential lives, we do not have to think about our own.
Whilst binge drinking is an issue that may not seem to have an obvious link to my argument, I'm afraid there is a commonality. The government have launched a new, hard hitting campaign based at 18-24 year olds in a desperate attempt to stop this "culture". Where did it come from? Why do young adults want to get wasted? I believe that it is another aspect of deferral. When inebriated, there is a distinct lack of control and therefore, again, no need to confront responsibility and live in the conscious present. It seems that, like ignorance and apathy going hand in hand, so deferral has an undeniable alliance with escapism. Whilst I do accept that my points on BB and binge drinking may focus primarily on young adults, it is only possible to learn what has been taught. I am as guilty as the next person. The Age of Deferral is not a post milllenium phenomena; I fear it extends back much further than that.