An article by: Craig
Dewe
Few people realize the number of
issues that television causes in our life.
While many people will argue that a
little bit of TV never hurt anyone, the amount of a “little bit” is constantly
in debate. A Neilson report found that the average American watches more than
34 hours of television each week.
If that number doesn’t shock you I
don’t know what will. If you’re now thinking “Those people are crazy—I’d never
watch that much” then I invite you to do your own maths. Simply write down all
the shows you watched this week and how long they were (including commercials
if it was live) plus movies, YouTube videos, etc. and work out roughly how much
time you spent in front of the screen.
That number is how many hours you’re
losing each week to television. This is time that could be spent with your
family, friends or relaxing in other ways. Today we’ll look at some more
reasons why you should stop watching television, and how it will improve your
life.
Wasting
Time
It’s pretty obvious that when you’re
watching TV you’re not doing anything else. Time spent watching television is
similar to being asleep (although you will see some other consequences below).
The question is whether you want to spend even more time in your precious day
asleep.
Missing
Out on Social Interaction
Every hour you spend in front of the
TV is another hour you’re not making the most of your life. You could be
playing with your family, hanging out with friends or doing an activity you
enjoy. Connection is one of the basic human needs we all have and it will never
be fulfilled by your television set.
Programming
Yourself with Negativity
Just about every television show, from
comedies to drama to reality TV and the news, is negative. If you look at
almost any TV show there is a complete lack of positive redeeming messages.
While there are exceptions to this rule they are few and far between, so choose
carefully what you decide to spend your time watching.
TV
Poisons Your Belief Systems
In comedies, we laugh at the
stupid/overweight/socially awkward/racial stereotype/different people. The news
is filled with stories of pain/suffering/disaster/death, and arguing and drama
has to be about problems in order to create the drama. All of this is affecting
your outlook on life and the way you see the world.
It
Creates Unrealistic Expectations
Television distorts our understanding
of reality. It’s filled with beautiful people doing amazing things and having
great adventures every show. Ask any TV or movie star with half a brain and
they’ll tell you that the images you see of them on the screen and magazine
covers are completely fake.
Feelings
of Inadequacy
Life is never going to be like a TV
show and this can make people very disillusioned when they compare it with
their real life. The messages within television imply on a regular basis that
we’re not pretty/smart/funny enough. Our lives can feel quite empty when
compared to the perfection of the TV world.
Subliminal
Programming and Advertising
Make no mistake that there is only one
reason why television exists, and that is to sell products. No one is producing
TV shows because they want to create great art. Every single part of every
single TV program is designed to keep you in front of the TV and prepped to buy
the advertised products through traditional advertising or product placements.
Television is designed to make you
feel bad so you will buy products that make you feel better. It’s the ultimate
in mind control systems. Companies figured out how to get us to voluntarily
brainwash ourselves for their benefit.
It
Degrades Your Self Control and Discipline
Thanks to the incredible psychological
hooks that television uses, it’s very hard to stop watching it. We lose our
self-control and cannot turn off the television even though we may want to. As
this continues, our self-control and discipline decrease even further and the
harder the battle becomes.
The
Health Effects of Sitting Down
We now live a more sedentary life than
ever before with most people having jobs behind a desk. We compound this
problem when we go home and sit down in front of the TV as well, because the
electrical activity in our muscles stops when we’re sitting. Research is
showing even the most basic movement of walking or moving our bodies in subtle
ways can make a big difference to our health.
We
Teach Our Children These Habits
Children are now being trained to
watch TV and live a sedentary lifestyle. There is a lot of research showing the
negative effects on a child’s development due to both inactivity and the
influence of television. Your children will imitate your lifestyle. So any choice
you make will be echoed in the generations that follow.
Is
It Really Relaxing?
My personal argument for watching TV
is that it’s easy. You stop working for the day and get to relax and turn off
your brain for a while, but the reality is that what is easy for us is hardly
ever the best thing.
I also get to relax when I’m out at a
kung fu or dance class. I get to relax when I’m hanging out with friends or
spending time with my family. I also get to relax when reading a book,
listening to uplifting audio or even watching uplifting videos (like TED talks
or educational materials).
We get one life to live and it’s up to
us to make the most of it. Every hour of the day is an investment that pays off
right now and in our future. Invest wisely and your life will actually be
filled with truly beautiful people doing amazing things and having great
adventures.
It’s
time to stop watching television and start living instead.
How
much time do we spend watching TV, and is this healthy for us?
Remember
A good quote: When you are watching TV you are making other people rich while
you are not…
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