Television has proved that people will look at anything rather than each other. ~Ann Landers
How many hours a day to you spend sharpening your skills? How much time do you spend doing things you love? Talking with your friends and family? OK, now how much time do you spend spaced out in front of the TV? According to studies done by A.C. Nielsen Co, the average 65 year old person has spent 9 years glued to the TV. By those standards, if you value that time assuming an average wage of $5/hour, the wages missed would be $1.25 trillion. The average number of DVD's rented daily in the U.S. is a staggering 6 million. With all that said, only 49% of Americans say they watch too much.
I'm not suggesting you grab all TV's and toss them to the trash, but it's important to be aware of how easy it is to get caught up in spaced out mode. Growing up, we lived in an area that couldn't get cable TV even if we wanted it. The antenna would give us three channels on a clear day. So guess what we did? You won't believe it. We played with our friends outside, played games, and ate together...at a table! In our family, we are sticklers for family dinner time and the kids love exploring outside, but that does not exempt us from watching too much TV. I'm ashamed to say that as I write this, my 2 year old is being educated by the Fresh Beat Band. Ugh.
Like anything, done in moderation, it's fun, interesting and relaxing. Quickly, though, it can become a routine...drawing us in and away from the things that are important to us. Can you see this? Sitting there, flipping through 5000 channels, finding nothing, while there are kids who would love to go outside and play catch. Laundry beckons and dishes call, yet surfing through one humdrum show after show has you sucked in. As my 8 year old would say...."that's lame!"
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