A Day, A Week, A Month Without TV - I Dare You!

So, how long do you have it on? Does your hand reach around for the remote first thing in the morning? Do you turn it on immediately when you get home from work? Is it your meal time friend?
What is this ever persistent thing calling your attention? The TV - and I dare you to not turn it on.

If you are a creative person longing to do your own work, why are you sitting in front of the TV admiring someone else's creation. And you know half the time that the show you are watching is just okay and that is doesn't really enrich your life.

Is TV an addiction for you? The online Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines addiction as follows.

Main Entry: ad·dic·tion
Function: noun
1 : the quality or state of being addicted   <helpful definition that>
2 : compulsive need for and use of a habit-forming substance (as heroin, nicotine, or alcohol) characterized by tolerance and by well-defined physiological symptoms upon withdrawal; broadly :persistent compulsive use of a substance known by the user to be harmful

Dictionary.com has added the following in their definition.

The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or or involved in something. An instance of this: had an addiction for fast cars.

So, are you conditioned to turning on "the boob-tube", "the idiot box", or the "glass teat" as I've heard it called? If you don't think you are conditioned, if you don't think the pull of this instant entertainment box has you in its grasp, then just don't turn it on for a day. Heck, I dare you not to turn it on for a month!

Can I do it? I don't know. I've been watching American Idol and it's the only show I watch regularly. I can always check online to see who wins. When I was in college, I didn't own a TV. In my spare time between classes, homework, and sleeping, I drew pictures, read lots of books, and taught myself how to write music on the computer.

Living without cable is easy for me. Now I have Netflix and I catch up on seasons of shows that are available on DVD. What show isn't on DVD these days? Before I know it, my evening is gone because I want to watch just one more episode - then I can send the disc back and get another in.

What could we do without the TV sucking up our valuable time?  Let's find out!

Though this is where withdrawal may set in. Do you worry that not knowing some piece of news will diminish your day? I assure you that someone some where will be shot  or robbed or kidnapped. Some bus will blow up overseas killing many. There is likely some food you are or aren't eating that is causing cancer or that cures cancer. There is some product that you don't have that would make your life so much better. There is some moron eating live maggots to win a prize. Another group of strangers will yet again turn vicious as they are locked in a room and filmed. Mary Sue probably did have Billy Joe's baby even though she was cheating on him with Darryl Bob at the time. And many other useless things you will be missing out on when you turn off the TV. But you'll get over it. Honest.

And anyways, you can always catch up on your gossip, news, and more online. So what's your problem. Get to it. I dare you!

Imagine all the things you could do; all the pages you would write; the paintings you could complete; the books you could read; the exercise you could get. Turn off the TV and use your own imagination. The possibilities are endless.