In this world fascinated by TV and filled with people who seem to get totally "involved" in the TV programs they watch, I realize that a statement like "Television eats your brain" may not be a very popular one.
And... I'll admit that there is worthwhile programming on TV... SOMETIMES... and that we have certain programs we regularly watch, here at our house. That said, we have had neither cable nor satellite TV for five years, and it's hard to remember the last time we watched anything other than a movie or documentary via Netflix.
Mindlessness... and Product Placement
On the whole, the TV landscape strikes me as an endless wasteland of mindless drivel... and it pretty much "eats" your brain, in the sense you tune in, your mind goes slack, and then you just "sit there."
Get out in nature and watch something else!
Some people say they turn off through the commercials, not realizing that most programming is actually a giant advertisement, in the form of well-planned product placement in the feature program.
And not only are people seemingly "addicted" to all this stuff, they go out of their way to record it all to watch later, if they are actually going to go out of their way to spend time with "real people." That's one of life's great ironies: We invented DVRs and Hulu so we wouldn't be tied to the TV and its programming schedule... but instead we're now recording TWO programs at the same time so we effectively end up spending more time in front of the "idiot box." More trapped than ever!
TV eats our brains because so much programming contributes to the already out-of-control false sense of "reality" we have developed, in our culture.
"Reality" TV?
Some of it is so very strange. Consider, for a moment, "Reality TV." On what planet is there ANYthing "real" about reality TV? No planet that I have visited recently... and if these people genuinely exist, I fear for the Human gene pool.
Fuchsias in bloom
Maybe the movie "Idiocracy" isn't so far off the mark... that's a scary thought!
I ponder, at times, whether TV programming is a "reflection" or a "cause" of the things that ail society.
Take, for example, the all-or-nothing "lottery mentality," that seems to pervasive in many aspects of life. So much TV programming portrays scenarios of "get lucky, score big and get rich" as the way life works. Do something "outlandish" and be rewarded with millions of dollars. Become a movie star or celebrity, and make millions. Or become a professional athlete so you can own six mansions. This portrayal of a happy and successful life as something that can ONLY exist if you "make it big" surely is material in setting up unrealistic expectations in people.
Evening sky: Watch sunsets, not TV!
Similarly, we speak a lot about things like "finding world peace" and "getting along" and the human race "reaching higher consciousness" and yet most of what TV programming portrays seems to revolve around violence, crime and even a general sense of "meanness" as the path to get ahead in life. How is that going to help us move forward?
My real turning point came a few years back when my wife and sister-in-law went on an "epic road trip" for several weeks, and I was at home minding the house and our cats and dog. For three weeks, the TV did not get turned on ONCE... and I truly didn't miss it, for even a second.
So, here's my suggestion: Instead of worrying about whether or not there is "something on," just turn the TV off... maybe for a week, maybe for a month, maybe forever. You'll probably end up feeling surprised at just how much you become "engaged" in actual life around you!
How about YOU? Are you an avid TV watcher? Do you keep the TV on as a "backdrop" for some or most of your day? Do you just watch a few chosen programs, and otherwise turn it OFF? Do you find most TV programming to be a waste of time, or do you find it entertaining? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!
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Created at 180728 21:53 PDT