What's wrong with watching too much TV?

[Nords]

Now, I watch on average about 3 or 4 hours of TV/movies a day (less on golf days and none on travel days) - this amount is already considered too much per the book.
So, do you find watching TV/movies a mindless entertainment?

I thought tv was a waste of time. But really, what is the difference? For a child reading is better because it is developing a skill but as an adult who cares? I once made the mistake of criticizing how much tv my spouse was watching and he asked me what difference is it from all the fiction I read. I shut up. The only difference is the intrusiveness on others who do not want to watch and listen, but here are ways to deal with that issue.

Spouse zealously records two TiVos and watches an average of 6-8 hours on days when she's not volunteering or otherwise committed. I'd say she regularly logs 30-40 hours/week. It's heavy on HGTV & PBS but there are generous doses of vast wasteland. She also uses headphones so there's no disturbance issue.

It may be a coincidence, but she has double-digit blood pressure and finds that she does her best work sitting down. I'm not as low on BP as she is but I have way more testosterone poisoning and find it hard to just sit still. It's not easy plowing through 100 hours of HGTV to locate the one product or technique that we'd want to use on our next home-improvement project, and I love her for being willing to wade through all that crap to tell me what we should buy next.

I don't have the patience to passively watch a video monitor. I'm much happier with a keyboard to bang on or hardcopy pages to turn. However, like Martha, I can read a sci-fi book all day and never even notice that the time has slipped by.

my grandaughters are addicted to ipods, iphones, computer social media. they are 17 and 18. it is truly addictive. they have there iphones with them constantly and feel if they are out of touch for even a couple of hours the world will end. I have a cell phone and only use it for incoming and sometimes a little out call. these electronic devices are the real detractant to children from their schooling.

I disagree. We used to think a cell phone was a useless consumer distraction until our daughter got a part-time job to afford her own pay-as-you-go cell phone. We watched the transformation as she suddenly stopped missing out on the study groups, homework alerts, and other vital school info that she'd been missing because she wasn't on the same comms circuit as her classmates.

We wised up and used the college fund to pay for her smartphone and her laptop. She's incredibly more productive. She saves hours of study time by being mobile (instead of having to find a network computer) and able to record the prof's scribbles (instead of frantically trying to keep up with her own scribbling). If she doesn't understand a topic then she's able to access an amazing variety of other info sources without even leaving her classroom seat. Her entire social network resides on that phone, augmented by her laptop. She'd miss out on a tremendous array of activities without it.

Her college campus no longer even has a pay phone.

Carnegie-Mellon University's washers & dryers will text your cell phone when your laundry is ready. That sounds like a pretty useful tool to me, and I used to threaten our daughter with installing that system at home if she couldn't remember to get her laundry out of our machines so that the rest of the family could use them.

Sure, she's helpless if a battery dies. She struggles to read a paper map or to identify compass directions without an app. She still believes almost everything the magic iPhone tells her without applying the right amount of critical thinking. But that's not the iPhone's fault.

The tool is not the problem... the user is the problem.

 

[Texas Proud]

I like watching TV and won't apologize for it. I think it is a great and cheap pastime.

I am a visual person. I get more pleasure from a single picture than I would from a thousand beautifully-written words attempting to describe that picture.

+1...

When I was young I read LOTS of books.. maybe three a week... I used to get in trouble because I read to much (I read in school when I was 'supposed' to be doing school work... but I was bored because everbody else was just to slow)....

Now, after working and thinking all day... I just want to have some passive entertainment... mostly it is TV.. but since we got the XBox this has created another option... it is a big benefit that we have a DVR... I do not have to worry about missing some show (except some now have a nasty habit of going over 1 or 2 minutes and I do not get the end)... heck, one show I have 6 or so recorded... just have not had time to watch them...


I do read books... but now only during lunch and it takes me awhile to finish one...

I do not feel I am missing out on anything... I just can't see how some people want to be out DOING something all the time.. like they might die if they stopped doing something...

 

[MasterBlaster]

How to tell if you are watching too much TV:

1. Your remote control is glued to your hand
2. You can’t tell the difference between a sitcom family and a real family
3. You start singing the opening tunes to shows like the Simpsons and Family Guy in your sleep
4. You start to investigate the scene of crimes in your spare time
5. You do your homework while watching Cartoon Network
6. You can’t get up from your couch because of the impression that your behind has made in the upholstery
7. You start playing “One potato, Two potato, I am a couch potato,” on your piano
8. You channel all your energies into getting some snacks to take back to the couch so that you can watch more television
9. You start to grow antennas out of your head
10. You wear a Hannah Montana bumper sticker on your car
11. You kiss your HD TV before you go to sleep at night
12. You start to get jittery whenever you’re away from your television set
13. You start to sound like a TV announcer
14. You start to cry when your favorite show has been cancelled
15. You buy everything in sight after watching hundreds of commercials in a single day

 

[vicente solano]

I wish there were three hours a day of TV worth watching...... Here in Spain we are chockfull of mediocre -when not blatantly vulgar-soap operas, reality and talk shows or sit coms.
And I swear that I´m not a prig!

 

[ohyes]

Having recently read the Retire Happy Wild & Free, I thought the advice on not wasting too much retirement time on TV was good. I hope to follow that advice and get out there and DO rather than watch.

Maybe it did not bother me because the advice hit home; I might be the kind of person who would do just that. sit. in front of tv. for hours. eating.

The author suggests making "trees" with all the activities you wanted to do, but never had time. My trees keep growing and growing.....ideas come to mind at the strangest times. I gave the book away to a lady I met a couple weeks ago who is about to retire. Otherwise, i might read the most inspiring parts of it again.

Plus, our TV is old & not that cool.

 

[Alan]

I usually watch the TV about 4 hours a day, and sometimes even turn it on.

I watch about 4 hours a day, from 6 to 10, and try to read a book for the last hour before bedtime. I mostly watch movies and news or sports programs. I try to avoid long running serials these days because we travel a lot and usually watch very little TV at all during our trips.

Whether it is TV, Internet or whatever, I try to follow the motto moderation in all things, including moderation. Do whatever makes you happy.

 

[braumeister]

I wish there were three hours a day of TV worth watching...... Here in Spain we are chockfull of mediocre -when not blatantly vulgar-soap operas, reality and talk shows or sit coms.
And I swear that I´m not a prig!

I understand.
When I lived in Brazil, prime time television was primarily soap operas (novelas), and it seemed as if everyone watched them every night. To be fair, a few of them were quite well written.

I found myself keeping up with at least one, simply because all my fellow w*rkers would be talking about it the next morning.

 

[freebird5825]

Given the choice, I do not watch TV. I feel like that will contribute to unending physical inactivity, which means weight gain and atrophied muscles. I know a few people who have allowed this to happen to them. I suspect the barrage of food commercials is a direct factor.
Mr B likes to catch the local AM news and weather on TV. I do listen to the broadcast, but I get up and do some mild activity like laundry duty, dishwasher I/O processing (described in another post why I do this solo ), snow shoveling, fighting the ongoing roof icicle wars, etc etc.
If he watches Military channel, I sit here and surf. If it is Discover or Science channel, I watch also.
We will sit and watch a Netflix movie here and there. I've continued the service so we can have good movies to watch at a better price and convenience mode than driving downtown to the rental place.

 

[REWahoo]

Given the choice, I do not watch TV. I feel like that will contribute to unending physical inactivity, which means weight gain and atrophied muscles.

Yes - unlike surfing the net and posting messages on Intertube discussion boards, which is much more physically demanding....

 

[travelover]

Yes - unlike surfing the net and posting messages on Intertube discussion boards, which is much more physically demanding....

Yea, I'm still looking for a self propelled mouse.

 

[freebird5825]

Yes - unlike surfing the net and posting messages on Intertube discussion boards, which is much more physically demanding....

right back at ya

You have to have noticed that I am here less frequently than prior time periods in the geologic record.

 

[Moscyn]

Thanks for all the interesting posts. Am sure I will continue to keep my 3 to 4 hours of TV/movies. In fact, one of my friends just asked me to go out for a movie. My eyesight is not that good and though I love reading, watching TV/movies is less tiring. Moderation is always the key and afterall I play golf and watch golf channels, I love to cook and watch the food channels, I travel and watch the travel channels, I fantasize and am imaginative and therefore watch Diva, The Good Wife, Criminal Minds, Eli Stone, The Big C, etc etc. Retirement allows me to do all these and more! Best part is I am enjoying my TV hours.

 

[GregLee]

I consider reading to be a better activity than TV watching, simply because it engages the imagination. When we read, even fiction, we must create images in our minds to match the words on the page. On the TV, these are already there, the interpretation of some other person.

But it works both ways. TV also engages the imagination, since although the images are there, one must create the thought that must have lain behind them.

 

[audreyh1]

I kind of up the ante by pretty much only watching TV in a foreign language - well, except for the occasional local news when the weather looks bad. Requires a bit more brain work that - understanding content in another language.

Audrey

 

[Pete]

Watching what someone believes to be "too much" TV on a personal level is somewhat inconsequential and dependant on personal circumstance...weather, infirmities, etc.

It's the "too much" TV on a societal level that bothers me a bit. Numbers about how many commercials or murders kids watch each year, news that's skewed, remodeling shows getting you all amped up to change things that work perfectly fine, cooking shows that get you to eat too much of the wrong things, characters in the shows drinking cokes and smoking, the list goes on and on.
I like to think of what the TV might see if it looked back at us. Lights flickering somewhat strobe-like with me appearing and disappearing...sitting, inactive, passively soaking up hundreds of commercials and political rhetoric, then expressions on my face changing...laughter, sadness, stuffing my face...eyes close for a nap, wake, drag myself off to bed, then wake up to do it all over again.

 

[veremchuka]

I like watching TV and won't apologize for it. I think it is a great and cheap pastime.

I am a visual person. I get more pleasure from a single picture than I would from a thousand beautifully-written words attempting to describe that picture.

EXACTLY!

i watch a fair amount of tv, some days it's 5 hours other days just 1 hour. it really depends what is on. i typically tape most shows so i can ff thru the commercials i seldom will watch a show live.

personally i consider everything on abc, cbs and nbc to be a waste of time. i watch a lot of shows on history, discovery, a&e and nat geo. they have very interesting shows that i have learned and seen things that i never would have know about. i usually watch something that will educate me. the 2 food channels i get give me new ideas for cooking tho most of the shows are not all that interesting just some.

i like movies from the 30's and tonight on tcm they had the premier showing of "cavalcade". it was a british movie made in 1933 about a well to do family from 1899 to 1932 and it was great. modern movies are such trash all violence and special effects, there is no or a very poor plot. old movies did not rely on sex and graphic images to hold the attention of adhd watchers.

tv is like anything some is good and some is bad you have to pick what you like.

 

[obgyn65]

+1

Personally I see nothing wrong with watching TV as much as you want. It's your life.

 

[Ronstar]

Watched about 12 hours yesterday. Several hours of HGTV, recorded episodes of Larry the Cable Guy and The Biggest Loser, Chicago Bulls/Blackhawks games, watched news, Judge Judy, and Super Bowl commercials with DW. Didn't have enough time for movies. Normally I would only watch a few hours a day in the winter, but my projects are on hold until the cold weather breaks.

 

[Walt34]

I also spend some time on the early retirement site, which is enjoyable but doesn't accomplish very much. you work all the years so that you can have the choice of what to do with the rest of the time you are alloted, it is your choice what to do with that time. sorry if my comments are redundant, as it is still below zero and I don't have much else to do.

Understood! Yesterday I was thinking "I have got to get out of the house today" so went to a local park to take some photos of the local frozen pond, just for something to do.

Dress up in thermals, heavy insulated boots, the thickest jacket I own, with hood and gloves. Take the camera and tripod and head out. Get there, take some pictures and I'm done in 20 minutes, my fingers are freezing and in danger of sticking to the camera. This is not fun!

Go home and spend the next two hours playing with the photos in Photoshop. Okay, that part is fun.

I love the name of the road the park is on. Who wouldn't want to live on Poorhouse Road?

 

[Rustic23]

The TV is on an average of 8 to 10 hours a day around here. News, stocks, business, ans such mostly in the daytime. We record most of what we watch in the evening.

Anyone can tell you too much of something is bad, only you can decide if it for you! The next thing you know government will want to tax TV watching over a certain period of time.

 

[Texas Proud]

Thanks for all the interesting posts. Am sure I will continue to keep my 3 to 4 hours of TV/movies. In fact, one of my friends just asked me to go out for a movie. My eyesight is not that good and though I love reading, watching TV/movies is less tiring. Moderation is always the key and afterall I play golf and watch golf channels, I love to cook and watch the food channels, I travel and watch the travel channels, I fantasize and am imaginative and therefore watch Diva, The Good Wife, Criminal Minds, Eli Stone, The Big C, etc etc. Retirement allows me to do all these and more! Best part is I am enjoying my TV hours.

Is Eli Stone still on If so, I am missing it...

 

[Texas Proud]

The TV is on an average of 8 to 10 hours a day around here. News, stocks, business, ans such mostly in the daytime. We record most of what we watch in the evening.

Anyone can tell you too much of something is bad, only you can decide if it for you! The next thing you know government will want to tax TV watching over a certain period of time.

Heck, the British tax your TV set... watching or not watching...

 

[vicente solano]

Requires a bit more brain work that - understanding content in another language.

Audrey

You can say that again! In my case all my main reading is in English.

 

[audreyh1]

You can say that again! In my case all my main reading is in English.

Honestly, Vicente, no one here would know English wasn't your first language if you hadn't told them otherwise. I wish my Spanish were half as good as your English!

Audrey

P.S. I'm trying to read "La Reina del Sur" at present. It's hard work!

 

[Midpack]

I agree with Zelinski's (and many others) views on TV. Nothing wrong with watching some TV, we can't all be in top gear all day. But just like 'use it or lose it' applies to your physical body, everything I read suggests your mind needs some exercise to stay sharp too. Supposedly crossword puzzles, sudoku, etc. are even good to throw in the mix. I'd also agree that reading (anything) is a little more engaging than most TV also.

Watching TV is one of the most passive things you can do with your brain, so IMO it should be in somewhat limited quantities and balanced with more engaging and mentally challenging activities. Surfing the internet probably isn't the best use of a lot of one's time either, but at least it's interactive, TV rarely is.

The people that scare me are the ones who turn on the TV and watch for hours without caring what they watch. They just flip through the channels and watch whatever appeals to them even if it's a rerun they've seen many times or an infomercial. That can't be good for keeping the mind sharp...

But it's entirely up to you.