Networks feel they're giving away shows for free online and they certainly aren't about letting anyone have anything for free. Someone has to pay for it and they want it to be us. Rich Greenfield said so. OK, fine; I'll pay for what I use. How about that? Because what I'm getting isn't really working for me right now. I have a boatload of channels I could give a flying squirrel about watching, and don't watch the majority of them at all, for that matter. So why should I pay for all those useless channels? Give me the option to select only the channels I want to watch and add online accessibility as part of the package. It’s a better deal for everyone involved and don't tell me it's like insurance; there when I need it. I'm an adult and if I decide I want something added to my programming, I know how to get it.
And FYI to the networks, cable companies, etc, go ahead and take our shows off the airwaves; it won’t hurt us to get up and go outside for a change. However, it will hurt you where it really counts – the bottom line. During the strike a few years ago, I was forced to stop watching certain shows and by the time the strike was over, I no longer cared. Imagine that! The story lines and the characters had lost their hold on me. I found that to be very liberating. I was free!
It also scared me. I started turning my TV off when I wasn't watching a specific program. I didn't turn it on and leave it on anymore just because I might miss a show coming on an hour from now. At first, it took some adjusting because the silence was really loud. But once I got used to it, I've really enjoyed it. I listen to music a lot and I read more these days. The constant babble and whitenoise of the TV is gone and I feel like I breathe easier now. I'm not inundated with people trying to sell me stuff I don't need, telling me how awful the world around me has become or how there's some "must see" TV show airing later tonight. I'm good now - thanks anyway! And the ensuing silence cleared my head enough for me to think more. This wonderful silence made me think about what had happened and my specific response to it. Unfortunately, it also meant that I began paying attention to how the rest of the world behaves in regard to their TV and let me tell you, the future is not bright.
TV has become the biggest addiction in the world. Bigger than any narcotic; bigger than anything except maybe for the internet and that's fast becoming a closely run race. It’s ironic that people will cluck their tongues and pass judgment on computer users when they can’t tear themselves away from the giant mind-numbing machine in the corner of their living room. Pot! Kettle! Idiots! How many people do you know that turn the TV on in the morning and don't turn it off till they go to bed? This isn't about the little old lady that turns it on for company because it might very well be the only human voice she hears all day, every day. I'm talking about the ones that watch the news all the time and constantly have some talking head putting the spin on things for them and giving them their opinions; the moms that use TV to entertain the kids but instead, teach them that TV is their world; the ones that have to watch their "stories" daily because their own days are devoid of romance and life's little dramas; the ones that hang on every word like that daytime talk show host is a holy prophet and spouting divine secrets if they listen closely. Know someone like that? Are you someone like that?
Don’t think you’re an addict? Consider this: Can you turn the TV off for a week without spazzing? How about just 24 hours of silence? Still no? Do you hurry home so you don’t miss a show? Eh, maybe not since the advent of the DVR, but do you freak out if it doesn’t record a particular show? (There will be a quiz later.) If we were talking about having a drink, hitting the crack pipe or shooting up instead of watching a TV show, how many would be in need of a meeting right about now? Do you justify it all because news programs, sports, and shows about art, history or how to live “green” are included in that cable package? When was the last time you participated in a sport and not just watched one on TV? When was the last time you went to an actual art museum and looked at, contemplated and admired a painting or sculpture? Or better yet created a work of art? As for the news... these days news is what a network run by some billionaire mogul decides you need to know. And it's never good, have you noticed? Horrible accounts of things happening all over the US and the world; and at the end, they leave you with one little tidbit of goodness. Now that's truly sad. Bet you can tell me about the earthquake in Haiti that killed so many and probably the name of the musician that wants to run for President over there. But do you know how many died in the floods of Pakistan? Any idea when that even happened? There wasn't nearly the "news" coverage about the floods as there was for the earthquake yet thousands more died and 14 million were affected. I don't recall a celebrity telethon for the Pakistanis, do you? Maybe it's justifiable because Haiti is a such a small country and a close neighbor? I don't think so. Perhaps it's because news programs now determine our humanity for us. They tell us what we should consider news and we accept it because - wait, why do we accept it? Wouldn't we know what's news otherwise? Probably not because we're too busy watching the electronic box in the corner and not actually out in the world. You really want to know what’s happening in the world around you? Turn off the TV - Get out there and find out!
Here are 20 questions to help you determine if you have an addiction to your TV. The responses are: 1 - rarely, 2 - occasionally, 3 - frequently, 4 - often, 5 - always or Does Not Apply.
1. How often do you watch TV longer than you planned?
2. How often do you neglect household chores to watch TV?
3. How often do you prefer TV to being with your partner?
4. How often do you become friends with others simply because you like the same TV shows?
5. How often do others complain about the amount of time you spend watching TV?
6. How often do your grades or homework suffer because you watch too much TV?
7. How often do you watch TV when there is something else you need to do?
8. How often does your job performance or productivity suffer because you stayed up late to watch TV the night before?
9. How often do you become defensive or secretive when someone comments on the amount of time you watch TV?
10. How often do you think about watching TV instead of what is going on around you?
11. How often do you find yourself anticipating going home to watch TV?
12. How often do you fear that life without TV would be boring, empty and joyless?
13. How often do you get angry, yell or get annoyed when someone interrupts you while watching TV?
14. How often do you lose sleep due to watching TV?
15. How often are you preoccupied with TV when you aren't watching or daydream about an upcoming TV show?
16. How often do you say "just a minute" or "it's almost over" when watching TV?
17. How often do you try to cut down on the amount of time spent watching TV and fail?
18. How often do you try to hide or ignore how much time you spend watching TV?
19. How often do you choose to spend time watching TV instead of being with friends?
20. How often do you get upset, angry or frustrated because you miss a TV show?
I don't think you really need me to tell you what the answers mean. But if you do have an addiction to your TV, you can break free of it. Start by turning it off. Seriously.
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