Say No to Drugs

Television can have a much more powerful effect on us than we give it credit for. It can influence the way we view ourselves and the world, and ties up large quantities of our time. I know for me TV has become almost a narcotic that I am much too addicted to. When life sucks or I just don't want to think, I can turn the TV on and my brain off for mindless entertainment. It is an escape from the day to day reality of a life that isn't always good. I can try to justify the TV I watch by talking about how I mostly watch educational TV and that I am learning from it, but it is like learning about thermodynamics from picture books, all you get is just enough jargon and information to be an informed idiot, but an idiot nonetheless. I escape to TV programming instead of dealing with real life. I can see how much time I waste on television, how it affects the subject of my thoughts, but I now have an addiction to battle. TV is a habit for me. I don't like living in a quiet house and TV is my traditional white noise, but I cannot help but give it my attention. If I turn it on I will watch it. I know there are better uses of my time, and I intend to start finding them with more persistence. I need to spend that time with a book, a paintbrush, building something; any of which will teach me more and help me grow. I also feel that TV has dulled my senses so that I have to look harder for the small beauties all around. I think it is time for me to step back into the real world and find joy in the small things I haven't taken time to notice in too long.