Turn it Off!

Television is the thief of time.

Well, television by itself is an inanimate object, but the act of watching television is a huge time dump. Easier said than done, I know. Considering all the options available to us not only from the major networks, but also good programming from cable channels, such as HBO and the History channel, and with the growing popularity of streaming shows like Netflix and Amazon, there are not enough hours in the day. And I like watching tv. Being a writer who is always in the mood for a good story, watching television is a great source for good stories.

The trick is finding such stories amongst the myriad of crap that is currently being shown.

It was the end of the day last night at around 11:00pm. This was the rare time of day I allow myself to find something to watch as I wind down my day (and my mind). Looking at Amazon, it literally took me 20 minutes for me to find something that looked halfway interesting. The problem is that now that Amazon is partnered with premium channels like HBO and Showtime, they carry some of their series, which, being HBO and Showtime, somehow justifies gratuitous sex and violence. Um, no. Not in my house.

I finally found something and, being a two part show, it will probably take me another 2-3 days to finish it. No binge-watching for me. The only time I have binge-watched anything was when I had a sinus infection and blew through a season or two of The Big Bang Theory. And this is the gist of my diatribe: Do we REALLY need to see it all?

If you noticed in series writing, there is always expository dialog at the beginning to catch you up on what is going on. Or, from a literal sense, there will be a "previously on [insert your show here]" at the beginning of the show to bring to light any relevant information pertinent to the current episode. With that said, why binge?

Someone once told me that they can't watch a sequel until after they saw the previous movie(s). Why? Any sequel must be written in such a way so that it is not only a continuation but also a stand-alone story. My life does not increase in enrichment since I've seen all the episodes of M.A.S.H. (which I haven't). Why give such power to something so meaningless as a projected fantasy? Why allow something so banal have such control over your life?

Here is staggering statistic: From the 2015 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics: "Watching TV was the leisure activity that occupied the most time (2.8 hours per day), accounting for more than half of leisure time, on average, for those age 15 and over." That works out to almost 20 hours per week. That's a part-time job.

I don't want to preach, but imagine what you can do with an extra 20 hours per week. Or even another 10 hours per week. I'm not saying through the tv away. But take a look at what is controlling your time and therefore, your life.

Take back your time. Take back your life.