Turn it off!
One of the most interesting people I know hasn't owned a TV for 14 years. To be sure, it's not the only reason why he's one of the most interesting people I know, but it's a contributory one. The fact that more and more people are dreadfully boring must be connected with the hours they spend in front of "the box". An article in the February edition of Scientific American revealed the frightening nature of the situation we find ourselves in:
"The amount of time people spend watching television is astonishing. On average, individuals in the industrialized world devote three hours a day to the pursuit — fully half of their leisure time, and more than on any single activity save work and sleep. At this rate, someone who lives to 75 would spend nine years in front of the tube."
Sadly, one country where TV has made enormously destructive inroads is Ireland. In homes and pubs, television cannot be avoided anymore. And what's worse, the most popular programmes are soaps such as Coronation Street and Eastenders. In the space of a few years TV has displaced civil conversation and replaced it with the very worst of British mass entertainment. So much for Ireland's efforts to establish a culture independent of colonial influences. Disturbing, too, is the way TV has affected the internal architecture of homes in Ireland. There was a time when chairs and couches were arranged in kitchens and living rooms for conversation, music making and reading. No more.
The next TV-Turnoff Week isn't until April (21-27), but it's never too early to reduce television's presence in your life. The TV-Turnoff site lists 101 Screen Free Activities ideas such as gardening, stargazing or going to a book shop.
