“TV will never be a serious competitor for radio because people must sit and keep their eyes glued on a screen; the average American family hasn’t time for it.” – Author Unknown, from New York Times, 1939
Life is meant to be lived, not watched. To get started living your own life rather than watching others live theirs, consider its impact on your life.
Ten Reasons to Watch Less Television
1. It is influencing your worldview. Anybody who has ever been a policeman, a lawyer, a psychiatrist, an ER doctor, or an FBI agent will attest to the truth that television does not accurately portray their life. In almost all aspects, television rarely depicts the world and life accurately. Too much television results in disillusionment about what to expect from the world around us. This can most commonly be seen in people’s expectations of love, romance, and sexuality.
2. It is influencing your spending habits. If you think you are immune (or too smart) to be influenced by the power of advertisements, you are wrong. Corporations do not spend trillions of dollars in advertising hoping to influence you. They spend trillions of dollars because they know they will influence you.
3. It is taking you away from the real people all around you. The characters on television are not real. They are thought up in an office building and given life on a piece of paper. In contrast, you are surrounded every day by real people living real lives. These real people are facing real problems. They need you. And you need them. Limit your kids’ screen time.
4. It is robbing you of precious mental energy. When your television is on, your concentration is held hostage. Your mental energy is drawn into the screen and your ability to control it is given up.
5. It is costing you money. Americans spend over $6 billion per year just paying for the electricity to power their television sets. Add in the cost of cable/satellite bills, dvd’s, movie subscriptions, peripherals … and we’re starting to talk about real money.
6. It impairs your capacity for rational thought. TV oversimplifies reality. It presents subjects in a matter of minutes and everything is nicely wrapped up at the end. This harms clear thinking by conditioning you to expect that most problems have a simple, clear solution that can be implemented in 60 minutes or less.
7. It is bad for your health. Numerous studies draw direct parallels between excessive television watching and obesity.
8. It results in less satisfaction with life. According to the Journal of Economic Psychology, TV viewers report lower life satisfaction, higher material aspirations, and more anxiety.
9. It results in less sex. Couples who keep a TV in the bedroom have sex half as often as those who don’t. And if you ask me, that should be reason enough.
10. Its opportunity cost is too great. The average American watched an average of 5.1 hours of television per day in 2009. That’s time you could have spent exercising, eating a meal together, entertaining, enjoying nature, meditating, enjoying a hobby, reading a book, or fulfilling a dream.
Bill @ The New Pursuit says
After lightening hit close to our house in June 2007 and fried every piece of electronics, we decided to NOT replace the TV. For nearly two years we were TV-free — even with two little kids. It was the BEST thing we ever did because our children were free to create, to explore and to learn without the compromising influence that television programming brings. Even now with three kids, we have one television but no cable. I truly believe we are happier because we are able to apply our time pursuing more fulfilling activities. Thanks for the great post! Be well!
SimplyMe says
I couldn’t agree more. Every point is spot on, and I’m about to yank the TV plug for good. A few months back we went from costly expanded cable to $16 basic service (networks, home shopping – gag – and some Spanish stations). We probably watch two hours of TV a week and that’s news while we’re making dinner or reading. We can get the news online or not at all – life continues to move on just fine if I’m not in the loop on the intricate details of the oil spill. I’ve never cared much about TV and am always the one who is clueless when talk of reality shows comes up anywhere. I’m surprised I haven’t given it up for good yet – stay tuned – no pun intended :)
Thanks for a great post!
CD says
Move #9 to #1. Nine is a weird place for that one, anyway.
Rachel Grey says
A possible addition to this list: a TV tends to force (or correlate with) a less social arrangement for living rooms. In the vast majority of living rooms with a television, all seating is facing the television, a setup that makes it difficult for people to focus easily on one another. It’s something that has always bothered me.
Mira says
Wow, this is something i’ve never thought before. I’m absolutely agree with this.
Anonymous says
I don’t watch a ton of TV, and I do agree with a lot of the points on this list, but coming from someone who has been around a lot of voracious readers – points 1, 3, etc. easily apply to books and the internet as well as TV. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a reader, but just something to think about before we decide to look down on TV for those sorts of things. Everything in moderation.
Speaking of moderation – 5 hours of TV a day? Seriously?! I don’t consciously limit my TV watching (but I don’t have it on unless I’m actually watching) and I could never come close to viewing 5 hours a day. That’s quite shocking to me.
I just read the first comment about making the content on TV better, with less advertisements, and I absolutely agree!
Adamaero says
I partially disagree with how “points 1, 3, etc. easily apply to books and the internet…”
First, reading text opposed to listening to a politician’s “sound bites” or watching the “History Channel” (see links below) is far easier to compare and form a truly informed stance (#6). So no, the points in the article do not easily apply.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utDHcbiOfKY
or read basically the same thing: gawker.com/5869335/the-history-channels-secret-to-success-no-history
Ari Herzog says
How are your logical reasons above for a television set not applicable for a computer screen? I’m a real person but in your mind, am I any different than someone sitting in the audience at the Grammys?
Deb J says
We do not have a TV. To see anything of quality you have to pay for cable or dish. We refuse to spend our money that way. We would rather read or something else.
Laurie says
I agree and disagree. Regular programming is mindless, but my viewing is done on the History Channel and Discovery. These are programmed well and I find many programs that stimulate thought. They encourage me to buy books on subjects I wouldn’t normally show an interest.
Mira says
I would have to agree about how channels like History and Discovery can actually gives you a lot of information.
But for me, instead of having a TV just to watch certain channels, i would rather buy a book (if you’re a History Channel fan, you can always find any interesting history book at the book store or even at the library). Just think again, you have to pay for the electricity every month to power the television sets. Meanwhile, a book only costs you a bit and of course you don’t have to pay anymore once you’ve bought the book. Not to mention that you could easily sell/donate/return the book once you’ve finished reading it.
Once again, this is another opinion of mine.
halo4265 says
That is very true. That’s one of the reasons i think TV should be watched but in a controlled manner.
brenda says
or you could get the book from the library.
Brett says
They are all good points, but I especially agree with #2. When I spend money I like to make an rational, informed decision, not because a basketball player told me he likes a certain brand of potato chips.
Jeffrey Tang says
Thanks for reinforcing my decision to cut myself off from the TV set.
I’ve been having an interesting thought though. We can address the TV problem by simply turning it off – but isn’t there also value in trying to make TV better? We don’t, for example, think of reading books as a valueless, mindless activity.
I don’t think that TV as a physical broadcasting medium is bad – but that the programming leaves a lot to be desired. Part of that has to do with the business model of TV stations – lots and lots of advertising to pay the bills. But what if we could change the television into another way to deliver useful, thought-provoking content?
Just thinking out loud. Thanks for the post, Joshua.
Ellen Scott Grable says
I agree Jeffrey. The problem is so many folks aren’t able to stick with Nova or some other quality show. They want passive entertainment and like an addict are unable to stop. Like having booze in the house with an alcoholic.
Cheers, and see you in the real world with our tellies turned off or gone!