Our Brains are Melting

I read an article on Yahoo.com recently, discussing the health issues and the shortened lifespans related to people that sit on the couch, watching television much of the time. It turns out that the old rule of only 30 minutes of exercise a day, really doesn't make much difference, if all of the rest of the person's free time is sitting... either at a computer at work, or a television at home.

I only have one thing to say about this article: DUH!! They act like this was breaking news or something!

I've been telling people for years that TV rots their brain. It's one thing to read a book, fiction/non-fiction, trashy, mystery, whatever... it encourages your brain to be active and inspires creativity. But television? It does absolutely all of the work for you... you don't need to be creative and imagine what the room, or character, or sounds, or whatever else, might be like. They do it all for you! All you have to do is sit there and give your thumb a remote control workout because there are 900+ channels with absolutely nothing on!

Good thing you dish out that $80/month or however much cable is costing these days...

I, personally, have not paid for cable in years. I was dating a guy for 4 years, and I think he chose to pay to have it at our house for about 2 of those years... I didn't have it before he came along and I don't have it now. I just don't see any point in getting wrapped up in it. I can say that when we did have cable at our house, I was a much less active person, had fewer friends, and my health/eating habits were much worse.

I believe that television lowers your quality of life. If you are constantly glued to a TV, then you are not playing with your children. You are not discussing the day's events with your partner. You are not getting exercise with your dog. There are so many better ways to spend your time, than by sitting on the couch watching the "Boob Tube!"

I am not trying to be judgmental here. I do understand that people often have it on as "back ground noise" and it's always good to watch the news to keep up with current events. I also understand the concept of snuggling with your kids and “vegging” on a movie on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

The problem that we're looking at here, is the people that go to work, and the minute they walk in the door, they throw their stuff down, sink into the couch with a bag of chips and a soda, and glare mindlessly at the bright colors flashing before them in some sort of hypnotic trance until 10 or 11 o'clock at night. Then, they get up, brush their teeth, and go to bed... often times with a different television running in the bedroom "so they can sleep."

These are the people that need to get out more!

I own a television... It is currently unplugged, sitting on top of a plastic bin full of old photos, shoved in a corner on top of my dresser. I do not have cable, there isn't a Wii or other video game connected to it, or even a DVD player. The reason is because unless I'm sleeping, I am rarely home! I work full time, I run, I go to the gym, I visit the beach, I go to my friend's houses for pool parties and BBQ's... I find things to do that require social interaction!

Recently, a friend at work was talking about being depressed and gaining weight, and somehow, the conversation turned to television. I mentioned to him my situation where my TV isn't even plugged in, and that I am forced to find alternative ways to entertain myself. So, he created a challenge for himself, and said that he would unplug his television for 30 days, just to see how his lifestyle changes.

Whenever I see him at work, he tells me how things are going. It has now been over three months! During the first month, he said he often was tempted to plug it in "just for an hour or so" but he resisted. Over time, he found that he went back to things that he used to enjoy doing, like playing basketball and riding his bike. He also said that his house was cleaner, he reconnected with friends that he hadn't talked to in a while, and his mood and depression were even lifting. Also, because of his more active lifestyle, he was losing some weight and felt healthier.

My friend has figured out something that I've known for years. There are so many benefits to living without television! The only negative aspect of it is that when people start talking about movie trailers, new television shows, or whatever... neither of us have absolutely any idea what they are talking about!! But, I’m ok with that, and I think he is as well.