You would think being away from television for so long would cause withdrawals. It’s probably easier to deal with since summertime produces no new episodes of anything I watch. But two weeks and counting without television feels great. Maybe that’s because I veg in front of my computer so easily, what with this social networking revolution and all.
I’m not sure I could function well in today’s world as a kid. TVs practically raise kids now. There’s all types of programs for all types of ages and situations. I know of parents who sit their kids down in front of the boob tube all day. No real parenting happens from the time those kids glue their eyes until the next distraction. Pop in the latest childrens DVD or a movie and your parenting is practically over for a couple of hours.
I did spend my share of time in front of phosphor-coated screens. Whether it was Saturday morning cartoons for 6 hours to countless hours of Nintendo and Super Nintendo games (ah, good ‘ole Final Fantasy 2 and MarioKart), I enjoyed every second of my favorite mindless, passive childhood activity.
Watching TV is now mindless to me. It’s background noise. It’s second nature. When the evening reruns of the Simpsons start, my TV stays on non-stop until I sleep. There’s always something meaningless to fill the quiet void. It’s my comfort zone. It probably contributes to often short attention span. I even find it difficult to read a book for so long.
Despite, I am highly enjoying my television freedom. I know what happens the second I get home, but maybe I will pick up new habits here to replace old ones (such as reading more stories or articles that AREN’T online).