Why I don’t watch TV anymore
I have three reasons – they may not apply to you.
Disclaimer: My goal is not to convince you to stop watching TV. In fact, I enjoy TV, but it no longer makes sense for me to watch it.
When we were kids, my parents let me and my brother watch as much television as we wanted. I have fond memories of watching every episode of Seinfeld, Friends, and Boy Meets World, all many times over. We would sit down on Friday nights and turn on ABC’s TGIF to laugh at Urkel and tremble at Barbara Walters’ warnings about escalators. The next morning, I’d dive into the couch and watch four hours of cartoons. I was addicted. So much so that during my grandmother’s funeral, I was anxious that I was missing a new episode of The Simpsons. Perhaps I was unashamed because this was a common comedic scenario on TV, like indiscreetly listening to football in the church pews.
I could name too many more series I loyally watched* and I am sincerely thankful for having experienced and absorbed these stories. But since college, I have become more aware of myself and have hardly watched TV. Here’s why.
My brain doesn’t get bored.
People often see TV as a way to “turn off,” but for me, that isn’t necessary. I am always a bit sad when my daily forty minute train ride ends. I really enjoy gazing out the window, just thinking. About what I’d do if this train derailed. About the possibility of getting the chance to [date] this girl. About the photons that started at the center of our solar system and shot to my skin, making me feel content.
Oddly, I don’t get bored. Sometimes “boredom” is really frustration that I am not doing other, better things at that moment. For example, I could sit on a eight hour flight, mull over my thoughts, and be fully entertained. Yet, I am stupidly frustrated if I’m stuck in a unnecessary meeting. My attention is being spent on something silly. There are so many other things I could be doing now that are more enjoyable or productive. I could be sitting on a plane right now, playing a feature-length what-if scenario in my head.
“We liked wasting time, but almost nothing was more annoying than having our wasted time wasted on something not worth wasting it on.” — Joshua Ferris, And Then It Came to The End.
So what is worth wasting my wasted time on?
the bottom-right quadrant once in a while to appreciate the top-right more.
It’s easy to get stuck in the top-left quadrant. Also, these axes are probably logarithmic.
Above all, I value relationships and experiences.
Don’t worry. Sitting and thinking is not my favorite pastime. I consider myself a social introvert. I enjoy my time alone, but I really enjoy my time with the people I care about. My de-prioritization of TV and movies has made me more social. Instead of spending a weekend binging on House of Cards — a very anti-social activity, in my opinion — I was probably running or eating with friends and sleeping more. I would rather go out than stay at home, but not if going out means sitting in a room, silently watching a screen together. My ideal way to turn off my brain is to waste time with people I care about (or could potentially), and at the end of that, I want to feel closer to them. Even better if we do this and share an amazing experience together. I can easily think of many alternatives that do this better than TV.
The emotions created through my meaningful relationships are way more potent than the artificially-induced emotions from media.
My life is to create.
18 of my 26 years of my existence has centered around formal education. And, for better or worse, my education was mostly absorption, with bits of practice and creating. Since graduating, I now put creating first and foremost, and traditional learning second. This means integrating my eighteen years to build things. Learning by doing is a bonus. Doing by more doing is my modus operandi.
This is not a consumption vs. creation argument. I recognize that creativity needs to be fed by inspiration, and I appreciate the narratives and mind-views that TV and movies offer. Books, podcasts, and conversation do roughly the same, but better, in my opinion. My best sources of inspiration do not come from a screen. They come from wandering the bars of London, from breathing the immensity of Yosemite, from hearing the stories of my friends.
My life is to create. TV can only offer so much in helping me do that. The world can offer more.
Ultimately, I want my life to be represented by three things:
◊ the things I create
◊ the people I care about
◊ and the experiences I share with them.
There are too few hours in a day for me to spend them on an activity that hardly adds to any of these. This is a narcissistic essay. I’m defining my priorities, and I would encourage you to do the same. Perhaps you’ll discover that one of your pastimes doesn’t fit.
*As a fun exercise, here’s an attempt to list all the TV series I’ve ever watched, for at least a season. Linked are the opening sequences.
Barney & Friends, Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, Sesame Street, Lamb Chop, The Bugs Bunny Show, Darkwing Duck, Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers, Arthur, Doug, Rugrats, Recess, Ren & Stimpy, Legends of The Hidden Temple, The Magic School Bus, Wishbone, Batman (the animated series), Spiderman, Mighty Morphing Power Rangers, Pokémon, Animaniacs, Pinky & The Brain, Boy Meets World, Step By Step, Family Matters, Full House, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, The Secret World of Alex Mack, Land of The Lost, Home Improvement, The Simpsons, Dinosaurs, Robocop, CHiPs, I Love Lucy, Everybody Loves Raymond, Giligan’s Island, Cheers, Matlock, Murder, She Wrote, Touched by An Angel, Walker, Texas Ranger, Jeopardy, The Price Is Right, Live with Regis & Kathy/Kelly, 20/20, Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Gilmore Girls, Seinfeld, Boston Public, Early Edition, Malcom In The Middle, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Saturday Night Live, Mad TV, Guinness World Records Primetime, Beyond Belief? Fact Or Fiction, TRL, The Real World: Philadelphia, Survivor, Fear Factor, Friends, Lost, Heroes, Futurama,The Office, Parks & Recreation, Late night with Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show, The League, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Flight of The Conchords
