I can think of nothing positive that has ever come from me passively vegging on the couch watching TV for entertainment, distraction or to "relax".
The latest Nielsen report said the average American watches 5 hours of TV a day. If this offends people awesome ~ that's fucking insane.
What a waste of ones life to be sitting in front of the TV 20% of the entire day and over 25% of waking hours. No wonder most people never achieve their goals or do anything meaningful with their life. I never achieved one goal sitting on my couch watching Game of Thrones.
I don't think I ever got to the 5 hour per day or 35 hour per week mark, but I've definitely had 5+ hour days in the past, especially with the advent of Tivo and NetFlix allowing the marathon capability.
I remember the countless hours watching sports or having the non-stop drivel of business and political channels on in the background all day and night. I had my favorite TV shows I would schedule to watch and then as technology advanced, make sure I taped to have the "freedom" to watch on my time. I use quotes around freedom because taping a show to watch is not really freedom; it's just slavery with an time option.
I would form my political and business opinions from TV and who was on TV talking about whatever. Really I wasn't forming my own opinions, I was adopting, mimicking and living a life based on other peoples' opinions. I was a sheep thinking I was a wolf. It's the great illusion of TV.
With sports I would live out my passions watching other people actually live out theirs. To be fair, watching people perform does actually help mentally improve my performance, but only when done on purpose with intent and actually using visualization techniques. Mindlessly watching NBA players won't make me a better basketball player, which is what my sports watching typically came down to.
TV as the distraction or escape was another use. If stressed or my mind was racing flipping on the tube to distract the mind or overpower it was common. Of course, I was just avoiding whatever was bothering me or pressing or important, which didn't go away and then normally got worse. Most of the time my thoughts would overpower the boring nature of TV anyway.
So, one day I just decided I was going to unplug and stop watching. I've always thought of myself as a maverick and anti-social to some degree, so what better way then dropping out of the mass hysteria of the TV driven culture. No sports even, although I admit to watching the Crossfit games, which I did with the intent of learning something to improve my performance. I took notes while watching it.
No NFL, no MLB, no NHL, no NBA, no NCAA and I don't miss them. I couldn't name half of the Cardinal players, not that I am not glad to see them succeed, it just really doesn't affect my life in a positive or negative manner how they do. Rams and Blues, I know maybe one or two players. Mizzou football, no clue how they did or what bowl they played in. My life has not suffered in one way not watching sports.
People still talk about sports to me and I don't say "I don't watch TV", I just ask them questions because people love to tell me how much they love and know about sports. The time commitment on watching other adults play a game is now comical to me, but looking inward I'm embarrassed I was a major part of that at one time.
Now if someone wants to talk to me about a TV show, especially reality TV, I will say "I don't watch TV" because I don't want to waste my time listening to someone talk about a fake TV show. Even the news or political/business shows, which are not "real". It's all someone elses' version of the world and I prefer my version of my world.
Next is cutting the cable cord and trying to detox the children!
I am challenging you today to not watch TV, just today and see how it goes. Then maybe tomorrow is next! Email me and let me know if you're in and how it goes.
I read and respond to all emails ~ douglashilbert@yahoo.com
For past "Letters to My Son" blogs go to ~ doughilbert.blogspot.com
No comments:
Post a Comment