Slipping into Distraction

I’ve been an advocate for not watching television for a long time. TV rots your brain. You get out what you put in. And honestly, I have too many other things I want to accomplish to even have time to watch television.

TV hypnosisWe haven’t had a TV in our house for almost 10 years. And I haven’t missed it at all. (We have computers.)

Lately, though, I’ve been slipping.

It started with movies from the library. The library is right next to where I work, so occasionally I would go in and look at the movies that they had, and see if there was anything I wanted to watch. It would be a weekend-type treat. And sometimes I would check out several DVDs and not have time to watch them all.

I started seeing DVDs of television series. Most of them were not of interest to me. There were a few that were, though – Rome, The Tudors, and Dr. Who. So I started slowly watching them.

I would often binge watch. I’d go for long periods of time without watching anything, and then watch a whole series in the space of a month. And then watch nothing again for a long time.

Then came all the talk about Game of Thrones. (And more Dr. Who.) I was curious, and found ways to watch it even without having television.

When I’m working on a sewing project, I like to have something playing in the background. The noise of just the sewing machine (and the Minecraft videos my kids watch on YouTube) gets tedious. So I put on something *I* want to watch.

There are a couple of series out now that I watch whether I am sewing or not – Outlander, Dr. Who, and probably Once Upon a Time and Game of Thrones once they start again. This is getting out of control.

I try to justify it and tell myself that at least I’m not watching it on commercial television, with advertisements bombarding me every 6 minutes. I don’t think I would be able to stand that.

But really, it is an escape. It’s a way for me to get out of my own life, away from whatever stresses me, for a little while. I’m still watching when I am sewing. And I’m working on setting my living space up in such a way that I can be on the elliptical and watch so that I will ideally spend more time exercising.

I know it will balance out. If I start falling behind on projects and schoolwork, the shows will drop.

Do you watch television? What shows do you watch? On second thought, I don’t want to know. I don’t need anything else to get hooked on.

What are the reasons you watch?

Self-awareness is always good when you are talking about any kind of habit.

Blessings,

Mary

3 thoughts on “Slipping into Distraction”

  1. Have you considered this perspective?: that while you work very hard and do so many things you want, if that’s all you do and don’t let yourself have the ocassional time to escape into imaginative fantasy then your overloading your intellectual, spiritual, physical, emotional energy. The saying all work and no play.. Not saying play can’t be other things it totally can.. I guess what I am.saying is perhaps you don’t need to feel guilty about wanting it some of the time.. After all your human and einstein said with out imagination there is no lifeAnd I know.you know its about balance n can strive and achieve that.. So don’t be too hard on yourself k.:),

  2. I try to moderate how much I watch, and understand it is not as healthy as say being outdoors, or spending time with others, but I don’t have many people who I’m able to relate to, and in NYC, you have to travel downtown in order to meet others, which is not always fun if you are just getting out of work, then have to travel back home later. Also, being in the city takes so much away from me spiritually, because there is not enough nature, and I crave that, so hopefully someday I’ll live somewhere healthier where I won’t need as much tv, but I do enjoy certain shows, especially sports, as well as Pro Wrestling, and the Walking Dead. I agree with the other response, sometimes we need to unplug, and let our minds wander. As long as it is not all of the time. Thanks for your thoughts.

  3. Thank you both, Phoenix and Michael.

    I feel for you, Michael. I am lucky to live near trees and the ocean (though I spend a lot more time in front of my computer, I do enjoy being so close). I’ll hold that energy that you get the natural space you are craving!

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