TV Free
I plan to spend the next month, maybe more, without television. When I moved in to my own place, my parents' housewarming gift to me was a TV. I hadn't had one of my own for the previous five years of city living; this didn't mean that I didn't watch TV, but rather I streamed Netflix on my laptop.
Since getting the TV my time watching television has increased quite a lot. Watching a show or movie on a big screen is far more pleasing and relaxing than on a 13” laptop. So since November, I would predict my TV-watching hours have averaged around 14 hours per week, or two hours per day. Now during this time I'm typically multi-tasking, with Breaking Bad on and a laptop in my lap, scanning Reddit. Or a movie on while I cook dinner. So it's not like it's 14 hours per week of pure television. Still, it's a lot*. And I suspect the multitasking is doing me no favors; I'm not fully absorbed in either the TV show or task I'm carrying out.
- 14 hours per week amounts to 56 hours per month, and 728 hours per year! That is one full month (30 days) of TV watching per year. Ridiculous.
So, will be literally pulling the plug from my TV. And I plan to replace that time with reading, walking, cleaning, working, spending time with friends. Anything but mindless gazing at a screen. I will allow myself the occasional Youtube video for educational purposes, but otherwise will not be consuming any video media.
I'll be interested in how this exercise will change my mood, routine, habits, etc. I will check back in in one month.