Avoid Television
Impacts: Health, Mind, Community, Money, Time
“… Already long ago, from when we sold our vote to no man, the People have abdicated our duties; for the People who once upon a time handed out military command, high civil office, legions – everything, now restrains itself and anxiously hopes for just two things: bread and circuses” – Roman poet Juvenal
Considering televisions business model is the perfect place to start when trying to understand the true value of television. The core purpose of television is to sell advertising. Television is simply a tool that has grown into a vehicle for putting ads in front of you. To achieve their goal television producers work hard to make the most entertaining and captivating shows possible. The focus is not on quality or message but ratings and grabbing viewers.
All shows fall into this including the news. Television has also grown into the most popular and wide spread method of keeping us connected to the outside world. But people don’t just want the facts they want to know what other people think so news broadcasts have become filled with opinion mixed with reporting the facts.
Another reality of television is that it requires little physical movement or interaction with the people around us. Many of us spend hours in front of the tube eating and multi-tasking but inevitably sitting still ignoring the people around us.
Turning off the television will free you in many ways. You’ll find yourself interacting with family more, catching up on back burner projects around the house, spending more time outside, and so on. You’ll also feel better because most of what entertains us on television is designed to pull on our emotions. It makes perfect sense actually, no one would watch television if it wasn’t entertaining and elicited an emotional response.
If you miss the white noise television provides try turning on some music. You’ll probably even find your mood begin to improve. If you miss the news browse news websites, pick up a newspaper, talk with your friends, or listen to the radio. All these news sources have their own pros and cons but deliver the news quicker and often with less bias. It’s also easier to tune out the advertising.
Take Action
- Begin by cutting out television news. Get your news from other sources.
- Try to watch only your favorite shows. This will help avoid wasting time on shows you watch because there’s nothing else on TV.
- Fill the time you save with things you like to do.
- Avoid talk radio which tends to be biased and can divert you from focusing on the positive.
Read More
Impacts: Mind
“Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.” – Francis Bacon
“Employ your time in improving yourself by other men’s writings so that you shall come easily by what others have labored hard for.” – Socrates
Many people make little time to read. But reading is one of those brain feeding activities that helps us relax and think, no matter the subject. In other words you don’t have to read something really meaningful to feed your brain and give yourself a break. Reading anything is a positive step in the right direction.
Reading helps you sustain your personal freedom by giving you time to think and relax. If you read things that make you think you’ll find yourself better practiced in listening and able to process new ideas. You’ll become more aware of the impacts to your life from the things around you simply because you’re brain is accustomed to thinking, processing, and inquiring.
At first the cost in time might seem expensive, but once you find that reading nicely replaces time once occupied by things like television, you’ll realize that your time had not been wasted. In fact this is one of those little things you can do that pays you back in time recaptured.
The larger net effect of a larger number of people reading is a more thoughtful and connected community. Fewer people would spend their free time watching television. More parents would spend more time with their kids. More people would spend time thinking about ideas and issues instead of the sound bites we call news.
Take Action
- Read things that teach you something.
- Try reading things with opposing views. Reading things that are one-sided will keep you one-sided and closed minded. If you consider yourself liberal, read some conservative stuff. If you consider yourself conservative read some liberal stuff.
- Read things you like to read. If all you like to read is romance novels by all means read more romance novels. The most important thing is to feed your brain, relax, and recapture time.
