Life change can be hard, really hard. There is a reason we make resolutions every January 1. We desire to grow and improve and live life to the fullest, but getting there takes discipline and work and effort. Too often, we fall short of the desired change we desire to embrace.
But there is one change available to us that is as significant and beneficial as any of the others. The decision and implementation are really not that difficult. In fact, almost everyone I have ever met that made the change recommends it.
Watch less television.
Consider the negative effects of television on our lives and the consequences of allowing too much screen time for kids.
It is bad for our health. Numerous studies draw direct parallels between excessive television watching, obesity, and poor eating habits. But we don’t need studies to tell us we eat less healthy when watching television. We already know that.
It distracts us from the real people in our lives. 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 everyday by real people living real lives. They need you. And you need them.
It influences our spending habits. Corporations do not spend trillions of dollars in advertising hoping to influence you. They spend trillions of dollars because they know, eventually, they will gain some control over your spending.
It costs us money. We spend money to power our television sets. Add in the cost of cable/satellite bills, dvd’s, Internet channel subscriptions, movie subscriptions, peripherals … and we’re starting to talk about real money.
It, literally, causes us less satisfaction with life. According to the Journal of Economic Psychology, TV viewers report lower life satisfaction, higher material aspirations, and more anxiety.
It results in less intimacy with your spouse. Couples who keep a TV in the bedroom have sex half as often as those who don’t.
And those are only the ones we are aware of. When we consider how television influences our worldview, impacts our kids, changes our mood, and demands our mental energy, the downsides of too much television make an almost airtight case to watch less of it.
But statistics say we watch television nearly 40 hours per week. 40 hours! That is 2,000 hours we could have spent last year doing anything else, experiencing any other positive habit: learning, reading, growing, contributing, or pursuing a dream.
When I decided to watch less television years ago, I was immediately forced to fill my evenings with something else. We spent more time together as a family. We spent more time outdoors. I began to write more. I decided to visit the gym in the evening. I took more control over my life and my decisions. These are all good things—healthy habits—and cutting out television provided opportunity for me to accomplish them.
Not only are the negative effects of TV detrimental to our lives, the opportunity cost is great. There are just better, more life-fulfilling things we could be doing with our evenings and weekends.
If you agree, here are some helpful tips to reduce your personal television watching habits.
1. Begin with the decision. Most of the healthy habits that emerge in our lives are the result of an intentional decision. If you agree that your life may improve with this simple change, embrace it. If you don’t think it will improve your life, review the above list again.
2. Less can be different than none. Put down your defenses. I’m advocating less, not none. I realize some TV can be educational and entertainment is not necessarily an exercise in futility. We still have one TV in our house that I watch occasionally. But I do watch far less… and maybe you should too.
3. Limit the number of televisions in your home. One of our first steps in reducing clutter in our home was to take the TV out of the kitchen. As an unexpected result, I began to discover how much I enjoyed cooking. And removing the TV out of our bedroom reminded me how much I enjoyed…
4. Find a good season to start. While this habit could be incorporated at any time, nice weather outside (or a busy season) provides a natural opportunity to enact a change—especially if you have family to get onboard.
5. If necessary, go it alone. Speaking of family, just because you are personally feeling challenged in this area does not mean they are too. That’s okay. Make the change in your own life first. Become the change you would like to see in your family.
6. Be intentional about planning something else. Go for a walk. Find a book. Join a club. Or pick up a new hobby. Intentionally picking something else to do will keep the temptation to a minimum.
7. Try to eliminate specific shows. It may seem easier to make sweeping generalities such as, “I’ll stop watching TV on Thursday nights,” “I’ll turn off the TV at 10pm,” or “I’ll cut out all reality shows.” But for us, at first, it was easier to pick some specific shows that we could easily live without. When we started to experience the benefits of living life rather than watching it, it was suddenly easier to cut out even more.
8. Know it gets even easier over time. Television is a self-propagating habit. It promotes its own self-interests by boldly declaring the Best New Show, Most Watched Network, Can’t Miss Episode, or Game of the Year. They play on our fear of missing out. But as you commit to watching less, you are less persuaded by these claims because you see them less. Quickly you will realize you aren’t really missing that much anyway.
Life change can be hard. But some decisions have a greater beneficial impact than others. And watching less television just may be your quickest shortcut to better living right away—it only takes the decision to hit the Power-Off button.
Katie Bennett says
I couldn’t agree more. We have made a massive shift in our TV watching habits (as a family with two very young children) and I am SO satisfied and pleased with the decision. It has definitely opened my eyes to the influence it was having on us. I will be sharing this article with my Facebook peeps later this week. Thanks for articulating it so well.
Aaron says
While I don’t watch as much television as a general rule, I’ve always felt like I wasted too much time in front of the TV when I would rather be outside or in the garage. When we first got a DVR, I loved the fact that I could still watch the two or three shows I followed, and skip through all the commercials, literally saving 20 minutes in every hour-long show I watched!
Now however, even though the TV is supposedly there for our enjoyment, when I turn it on the DVR alerts us that it only has ten or five or two percent available space left, and some of our shows may not be recorded! So now we feel obligated to sit down and watch the shows that at one point were important enough to us to record, just so we don’t miss any future programming; suddenly watching television has become an obligation.
“They play on our fear of missing-out” indeed.
Eric Ungs says
I couldn’t agree more. In fact, several months ago we removed the TV from our main living space. Where it once rested is now filled with a beautiful painting, candles and books. It’s amazing the instant disconnectedness we now have as a family. Not that we didn’t have it, it’s now without distractions. We still own a TV, but it takes a conscious effort to decide to leave the room and watch something on the TV. The mornings, days and nights where we are just hanging out and listening to music are pure bliss.
What’s interesting is when people come over. I am sure the adults are thinking it, but don’t come out and ask. But the kids always ask if we have a TV and where is it. It’s like the room isn’t complete or functional without a TV being the focal point.
Wonderful post once again!
joan says
I’m 73, live alone, have some mobility problems. I’ve one TV. Like credit cards and technology, I use it wisely and with pleasure: several PBS shows and as a person who worked out of USA, from Peace Corps with a portable radio to State Department, on TCM I’ve seen “Close Encounters….” for the first time. All on HOA provided basic cable. I don’t have an iPod, Pad, Phone or any other I or other brand gadget. I’ve a basic laptop. I friend gave me a subscription to streaming Netflix to use after surgery. Very dubious, it turned out to a great gift for recovery period. With friends from around the world, we’ve had a great time watching World Cup matches and keeping a running commentary on Face Book. Not sure anyone else in Florida condo was cheering “Go Algeria ! ” today. Cheers !
Tavi says
Television is something that I do when I am too lazy to think of alternative things. I have realized that when it is off, I force myself to do more productive things like coming up with blog and business ideas. It’s nice to watch people do much more interesting things than myself, but then I realize that if I watch them less and focus more on my productivity, I can feel a lot better about myself. Great post .
Gladys (The Pinay Mom) says
I watch less TV and some of my friends are surprise everytime I tell them I don’t have favorite show to watch everyday or every night. feel more productive without this kind of distraction. But the only time I watch TV is when I have to watch game championships or have to sit on the couch and watch cartoons with our girls rarely.
Jan says
Every four years, we watch a few hours of television — FIFA World Cup soccer. I had to go to the attic to find the remotes this year! What I do wonder about, though, is my use of the Net. I think I will start monitoring how much time I spend here daily and weekly. Your post and the comments of others caused me to consider this in a more conscious fashion. Thanks to you and to the others who recorded their responses to your post.
Erin says
I see the value in watching less. I’ve certainly cut out some shows. For me, though, I do genuinely love some tv shows and it’s fun to talk about them with my friends. It’s one of my interests. I’m not much of an outside person, so I don’t need gardening or sports. I’m an introvert who usually hits my socialization quota for the day simply going to work, though there are certainly friends and family I enjoy spending time with on weekends or occasional weeknights. And I’ve started exercising while I have the tv on. I think there are quite a lot of us who love minimalism, but are also geeky introverts that have no interest in gardening but love bonding with our friends over both our personal lives and Game of Thrones. Just to throw another perspective out there.
carol evans says
Agree – it really does depend upon one’s lifestyle and one’s age/place in the world…..
Joy Davis says
I used to be a genuine TV addict, so bad that I would watch a game between two colleges I had never even heard of! Then, I read “The Plug-In Drug” by Marie Winn. Even though its main thrust is the effect of TV on young children, it jolted me into the reality that I had a serious addiction. I immediately started having no-TV months, and drastically cut back on my viewing. I got rid of my TV 18 months ago and haven’t missed it one bit.
I read the old version of the book, but I believe a new version has been or will be published soon. I recommend it to everyone.
Beth DeRoos says
Had anyone told me years ago that our home would have no television I would have disagreed. Then over two years ago I canceled the satellite service and the television set was given away. How often have you heard someone say ‘I wish I had done that years ago?’.
Never had I even given thought to ANY positives coming from no tv. Boy was I wrong. Lost weight, started sleeping better, spent less money bot for the satellite service and the ‘stuff’ tv ads pushed. No longer get headaches, or have the stress I had. And having been a nail biter since I was a child, my fingernails now are healthy and no longer bitten.
The tv set was rarely watched. It was often background noise and unbeknownst to me, background noise plays a huge role in sensory issues. The tone of a voice, can create stress that so many people never fully notice because it’s so subtle.
Mute the sound and watch the tv set and one ‘sees’ messages not seen when the sound is off, and just listen rather than watch and messages can be ‘heard’ that one does not get when seeing the ad.
Yes, I have a cell phone, but I so so so dislike talking on the phone. Yes, I have a laptop, but its used to read serious information online, NOT to play games or visit gossip sites etc.