This week without television has really be great. I'll admit, there were times it was tempting to watch something, but I'm glad I haven't. It doesn't even seem like it has been a week, because with all the time I've freed from the idiot box, I've been so busy! I've practiced so much more guitar. I've read the newspaper. My thoughts have been more complete. I played a game of chess with my sister. I've listened to more new music.
The downside is that I've realized how much more dependent other people are on their televisions, and how ignorant the human race chooses to be. Why are we so addicted to television? Because the programming is well constructed and entertaining? Hardly. My thinking is that we're brought up with it. We're brought up with it because our parents were brought up with it. Our grandparents are the exception. Very few of them had a television in the house when they were young. Think back to your upbringing. Did you ever have television taken away from you as a punishment? Giving up television shouldn't seem like a chore, and good behavior shouldn't be complimented with something that robs us of ambition and imagination.
Yes, there are television programs that I enjoy. But what happens if I miss one? At the very worst, the question of "How is this going to end?" goes unanswered. All other side effects and outcomes are positive. I have a suspicion that if I continue to keep the television off, my imagination will begin to thrive again.
Here is a suggestion to all you naysayers thinking you can't possibly live without your regular programs. Evaluate the shows you are watching and decide which are the very few you can't live without. Instead of watching the programs when they first air, find a way that you can record them and play them back later. Then set aside only one block of time in a week in which you allow yourself to watch them. Stick to it. I think you'll find the mild inconvenience of giving up immediate gratification will be outweighed by the many benefits.
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2 comments:
television was always taken away as a punishment. there was a year when i could only watch one thirty hour program a week.
I have had television taken away as a punishment, but not terribly often. I can only remember two such occurrances and one specifically involved video games, not the whole television.
At one point we had a family schedule where we did other things such as playing board games, reading, and outdoor activities. I think that has helped me to be not quite as addicted in the long run.
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