In 1940, the average holding period for a stock was about 7 years.

And in 1960 it was more than 8 years.

This data comes from LPL Financial. The chart below shows it.

Since then, however, the average holding period for stocks has been rapidly declining. Today, the average stock is held for less than a year. Perhaps this has something to do with high frequency trading. Or, perhaps, it has to do with something even more abstract. Like the color television.

That may seem farfetched, but the TV reached mass adoption in the 1960s. That was also the peak in the average holding period for stocks.

Watching the evening news was a growing common occurrence then. Our media has made a living selling fear and greed material on a daily basis. So you have to wonder if the influx of instantaneous news impacted our holding period of stocks in any way.

That is just one theory.

And, if you think it has some merit, imagine what the likes of Twitter and Facebook will do.