Thoughts on TV

It seems like everyone in America watches several hours of TV a day. Most people have TV sets in their bedrooms and watch TV while eating dinner. Some people go to sleep with their TV set on and I think that's insane. Ever stop to think how much control your TV has over you? You might not even realize it, but if you're like most Americans, your TV monopolizes a huge part of your life. Not just by how much time you spend staring at it with your mouth open, but by the ideas it plants in your head. (Ever notice how the TV never asks for YOUR opinion on anything? It's always telling you how it is, where to go, what the buy, what to think. Sounds like a rather unfair, manipulative relationship to me!)

This is an excerpt I pulled from csun.edu: "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."

Do you realize what's happening to you when you watch TV? Your brain sort of turns off, and you enter a kind of "sleeping awake" state of mind. This is similar to the state you enter when undergoing hypnosis.

Do you watch commercials on TV? If you answered "yes," ummmmmmm WHY?!?! Seriously, you seriously sit through commercials? Personally, I can't stand them. Even though some are funny, they aren't designed for your entertainment. If you've ever done a little research in marketing you'd discover that commercials are packed full of LIES. They are selling you an image of how they want you to view their product. The models who are "using" the product do not "use" the product in real life. The amazing "anti-aging/reverses wrinkles" cream never works like they suggest or else it'd make the front page of the news. They try and brainwash you with their jingles that get stuck in your head or the colors they use in their advertisement. Companies spend bazillions of dollars on researching how certain colors and sounds affect YOUR brain. The really successful ones are sending messages straight to your subconscious - and you don't even know it's happening!

I admit that every now and then I'll watch a few decent shows that I have on Netflix. I only spend about 1-2 hours watching TV a day total, if that. There are some good, inspiring shows out there and some educational ones as well. The problem is, most people watch crap nonstop instead of doing something productive. I never watch TV if it's nice out & I absolutely do not watch the news or sit through commercials. TV is a distraction, it makes you dumb, it is a time waster. You weren't intended into creation to sit in front of the idiot box. If you are watching several hours of TV a day, you are wasting your life! Go out and create something!

If you want to learn more, visit this fun site: http://www.turnoffyourtv.com/


Books make you smart. Don't be a dummy.


-Cursive L.