How can we reduce the negative impact of TV?
A few years ago, I decided to stop watching TV completely and deliberately got rid of the TV. Why? I decided that in order to achieve something in life, I have to get rid of things and habits that waste my time. Then, I abandoned television, computer games and other things that did not bring value to my life. It was not so difficult to drop TV, but for some people, the big doses of silence and calm in these times may seem strange and unnatural. In this post, I’ll show you how television affects people and why you should get rid of your TV viewing habits.
Harmfulness of television
Recently, I visited my family and saw once again how serious this problem is, and I decided to share with you my observations on how television affects people. Usually, when I visit my family, close ones or friends, this meeting is held in the living room. Everyone is sitting, talking, and there must always be a big TV in the background. As I haven’t watched TV for a long time and I don’t use a TV, presence of a TV screen literally stultifies me and makes me unable to think normally.
I can tell you a story that I witness regularly when visiting my loved ones. We are all sitting, long commercials are screaming at us with sky-rocketed volume, making our words or even thoughts inaudible. Sometimes, I cannot believe in the way television affects the lives of today’s families and is pulling us away from important things. Instead of talking about themselves and their issues, people comment on performances of completely strange people, judging and criticizing them from the couch. In the gaps between stupefying and artificial programs, we get a dose of promotion, new products and everything we need to live. I can’t see how many problems television creates and how fast it can respond to these problems at the same time.
All the news we hear on TV and in the media has virtually 100% no impact on our lives and those of our loved ones. More news from the world of politics, tragic accidents on the roads and cases shown just to talk about something — these events mean nothing in your life. Unfortunately, our lives are short, and if we want them to be cool and fruitful, we must act and broaden our horizons. Television takes time and deprives us of the ability to think by blurring our attention.
What can you do about it?
It’s easier than you think. Just dispose of your TV or just unplug it together with your set-top box. What do you say to the challenge of 30 days without TV? Do you know how much time and mental energy you will gain? Try it and I am sure you won’t regret it. And remember, it’s not about giving up all the pleasures of the modern world. It’s all about choosing your content consciously and not over-using it. Each of us sometimes likes to watch a good movie, and for example, YouTube has a mass of valuable content. Go to the cinema, start watching content that in addition to entertainment can give you some knowledge. And limit TV, especially stupefying commercials, bullshit news and sleazy shows. Instead, talk to your loved ones, listen to them, go for a walk, and read a good book in the evening — you’ll see how much your life will change!
Use your morning habits and have time for yourself
The best ideas come to mind when we have time to think. My life has changed very much when I switched from morning TV watching into morning habits. If you get a passive mind-set in the morning and just consume cheap news, then every day is going to look like that. However, if you want to achieve something in your life, you need to change your attitude to active. What does that mean? This means doing simple exercises and avoiding TV every morning. With this attitude, you will pursue your plans and dreams instead of blindly consuming excess of news that have no connection with your life.
How does television affect people?
— listen to the podcast
How does television affect people?
— see the video
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Hi. Tomek here.
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From Waiter to Millionaire.
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Today, a slightly different video,
an unusual one.
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Because I’m away.
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At my family’s place, let’s say.
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We are here in the mountains,
in a cool place.
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But what is the point?
I’d like to talk about television.
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00:00:23,610 –> 00:00:27,940
Personally, I am a great opponent of
television and a TV set at home.
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00:00:27,960 –> 00:00:35,400
I think this is a very bad thing.
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00:00:35,400 –> 00:00:38,370
Why?
I haven’t used a TV for years.
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This is something
very distant to me now.
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I used to live without it.
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I have not watched TV
for a long time.
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00:00:47,640 –> 00:00:52,230
But why is it something
you should get rid of.
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00:00:52,250 –> 00:00:57,560
Being here with my family, visiting
different people, different places,
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different houses,
I see everyone has a TV.
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When I see this,
I’m shocked.
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Having not watched TV for several years,
not owning a TV, seeing a TV,
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seeing someone watching TV,
I am in total shock.
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Why?
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Because I can see how television
distorts our thinking.
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For example, we visit someone at their
place and everyone is talking
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and television jams everyone.
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Commercials are screaming out, fluff,
news like about some councilman
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who had drugs in his car or a tragedy somewhere
on the other side of the country.
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Something happened to someone,
someone is missing.
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People we won’t see, we have never ever
seen before and we won’t see distract us.
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People are sitting, watching, discussing
things that are going on somewhere.
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Song competitions, etc.
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These types of programs.
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People dish, discuss about others,
while forgetting about their own lives.
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Instead of taking care of themselves, of
people around them, talking to them frequently,
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reading a nice book, doing something,
creating something,
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they consume, sit, watch and deal
with topics unimportant in their lives.
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That will never be important,
that are somewhere far away,
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and that will not
give them anything.
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Similarly, I observed,
for example my family home.
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Even when it comes to my loved ones, who
spend a lot of time in front of the TV.
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I remember it from my childhood.
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My closest ones,
who sat half a day in front of the TV,
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often even
not having time for me.
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And they discuss topics that are remote,
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that are not ours.
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What for?
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Why do it?
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Why talk about the winner of some competition
somewhere on the other side of the country?
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Why watch a councilman
explaining himself about drugs found in his car?
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Why watch politics?
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Why not get on with your life?
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Why not make it better?
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Why not travel, enjoy the moment?
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If we watch news that is truly
unnecessary for us so often,
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there is no time
to take care of our lives.
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There is no time to think about matters
of the future and our plans.
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Then there’s only time
for current affairs.
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We are constantly distracted by news,
while time goes by.
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Time goes by, years pass,
and we don’t move on.
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Therefore, I suggest you,
if you have a TV, sell it.
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Maybe you have a new one,
or old one, never mind.
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Give it to someone for free,
sell it for 100 or 200 $
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and buy 2 cool books,
or go on a trip somewhere
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and note that cool silence
coming to your heads.
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And don’t get me wrong,
I love movies.
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As you can see, I even have
a film tape on my arm.
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I’m a big cinema enthusiast,
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and everyone should
have some entertainment.
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There are cool things like
cinema, movies, YouTube,
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where we can select
information for ourselves.
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We are able to choose
a movie, a program that is interesting for us.
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You can choose a specific movie because
you feel like watching it at this moment.
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And select the news for yourself.
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Don’t let the information noise, stupid
news, politics, commercials into your minds.
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They actually disrupt your life and
make you forget what is important.
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Because there is too much of it.
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Don’t waste your life watching TV.
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Life is too beautiful. Enjoy it.
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Sell your TV, give it away.
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Or sell the setup box,
and keep your TV,
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and hook it up to your computer
to watch cool movies on a big screen.
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But don’t watch this crap.
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Get busy with your life,
develop yourself.
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You will see how cool it is,
when you reject TV,
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and you’ll see all the peace,
quietness and relaxation you have
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without the excess
of information coming from TV.
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Thanks.