The idea of watching others live life, instead of living one's own, lies at the core of most TV programming. Worse, it is watching actors pretend to live the lives of others whom they have never met or known personally; and in most cases never really existed. TV is enormously entertaining and addictive. So is cocaine or methamphetamine.
First, allow me to say, down time, or rest, is something we all need to remain healthy. Coming home from work and lying on the couch or easy chair and catching a half hour of 'Weeds' or, 'All in the Family', or 'David Letterman', can be restful. Four hours of the same just before retiring to bed on a daily basis is sloth, and arguably very unhealthy, for body, mind, and soul.
Most would agree that there is a difference between wise use of TV programming and lazy use of TV programming. Agreement would be harder to find in defining just what programming constitutes wise TV watching from lazy. Do you make wise use of your TV? Most of the time, some of the time, or rarely?
A friend once said to me, "If you are spending more than an hour a day on average watching TV you are losing valuable life experience." At the time, and still today, I don't agree with the arbitrary 1 hour provision in her statement. But, then as now, I recognize the wisdom of what she said, and incorporate that wisdom into my daily routine, by insuring my TV programming centers on science, news, or history programming for the most part.
There are days when I watch no TV at all. Other days may find me watching as much as 4 hours in a day, a movie and news, science, or history programming. What struck me as so wise about my friend's admonition was that TV, like every other action in our lives, should have a conscious purpose: a deliberated need fulfilled by the activity. TV, like cocaine or methamphetamine, can very easily become an addicted way of passing time en route to death. A wise person seeks to achieve something more than this before their end.
According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day (or 28 hours/week, or 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year). In a 65-year life, that person will have spent 9 years glued to the tube. What could you or I accomplish with nine extra years of life? 9 Years is two Ph.D's, a medical doctor education, the time it took me to build a two story house with my own hands and tools, all by my lonesome.
Surely, no Living Owl would advocate spending 9 years of one's life in front of the TV as a wise use of one's time. Perhaps all us wise owls should reevaluate how we could better use our time spent in front of the TV.
This is an excellent topic. We figured out when our daughter was about 12 that we had to take some control over her TV time. We, like so many other parents, were using TV as a babysitter while we went about doing other things. I then read an article about TV babysitting in a magazine at the doctor's office and changed our approach thereafter.
Your topic couldn't be more timely or wise. I have a neighbor who I will email with the link to this article. She needs to read this for her 3 kids sake.
Marcie, thanks for the comment. Sorry it took so long to respond. Still adding new features to the site.
Yes, using the TV as a babysitter is all too tempting, especially for families where both parents work. Wise is recognizing useful information, and then using it. Which you did with the article in that magazine.
You are a good Owl, Marcie. :-)