Watch Out for TV
IThere are very few things that are always good or always bad. It is generally a matter of degree, extent, and context. I just reviewed a study that revealed the average American watches television 35 hours per week. I actually had to double check this statistic because it is literally hard to believe. Television is a marvelous invention and a powerful tool that has altered the world in which we live, but much like any food, beverage, or medicine, too much of a good thing can be very bad.
You may be aware that my company, the Narrative Television Network (NTN), makes TV, movies, and educational programming accessible for the 13 million blind and visually impaired Americans and millions more around the world. For 30 years, our very talented team of individuals has created additional soundtracks that include descriptive narration which is edited into programming between the existing dialogue. This descriptive narration allows blind and visually impaired people to hear what they can’t see, thereby opening the world of television and movies to people who had not previously been able to enjoy the information, socialization, and entertainment that television can provide. I am very proud of what our NTN team has accomplished in the world of TV, movies, and the media. We have received an Emmy Award, a Media Access Award, and an International Film and Video Award, but I would be the first to say there’s a big difference between having television and television having you.
If you decide to read a novel, you pick up a specific print, audio, or electronic book and begin to read it. If you decide to catch a ballgame, you find out what time the game starts and you either head to the stadium or tune in for the broadcast; but the concept of watching television is quite different, and this difference is where the slippery slope begins. Our parents and grandparents tended to review a printed or electronic TV guide in order to decide what, if anything, they wanted to watch. But here in the 21st century, we have a tendency to plop down in front of our oversized screen and channel-surf whatever happens to be coming our way. This is not a good way to manage your time or control the input coming into your mind.
We are what we think about all day, and the average TV programming does not elevate our thoughts, challenge our minds, or motivate our performance. Television is a marvelous tool, but it makes a horrible master. Television should never be a babysitter or a substitute for quality pursuits and mutually-beneficial companionship. Televisions come in many shapes and sizes with a myriad of buttons, electronic options, and remote controls, but they all have a switch that allows you to turn them off. Controlling this on/off switch is the key to reclaiming a major portion of your spare time that can be repurposed to reach your goals and make the world a better place.
As you go through your day today, make TV your slave, not your master.
Today’s the day!