“I must say I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go into the library and read a good book.” ~Groucho Marx
Day 26 – No TV, No News, No Gossip Day
How to do this: There are 2 situations You might be in now: 1. You are still watching TV on a regular basis. 2. You have given up TV and reading or listening to any news altogether. So today’s practice has two versions, adapted for each situation. Choose the one that suits You.
1. If You are still watching TV, then today your challenge is to NOT watch any TV at all. Also, do no listen to any news on the radio, and do not check the news on the Internet either. Just for today, stay away from any news source. Trust me, if anything really important happens, You will find out from word of mouth.
2. If You have already given up watching TV and reading or listening to any kind of news already, (I suspect most of my readers have done this already 🙂 then your challenge for today is to go even deeper and avoid any news, gossip related conversation at work or in your family.
Notice how easy it is to be dragged into the “news” conversations and just for today, don’t take part in them. Leave the room or put on headphones with your favorite music if You can’t “escape” otherwise.
My experience with this: I was once chatting with a good friend, talking about ways to relax and reconnect and he played this joke on me.
He put on a serious face and he told me: “Sometimes when I need to relax and spend some time on my own I go home and look at my TV” then he paused for a few seconds, waiting for my reaction, cause he knew I’ve given up watching TV years ago. After my surprised “huh?“, he added smiling: “and then, after a few hours I might turn it on and put on a movie I like.” 🙂
After the 1989 revolution in Romania, we’ve made the transition from having 2h of TV per day, and during those hours most often some communist propaganda, to non-stop movies, news, shows, cartoons, music like everywhere else in the western world.
We’ve been hypnotized, like innocent kids who are left in front of the TV. I was 9 at that time, but I am talking here about a whole nation.
It took me many years to realize the amount of junk I was exposed to and to gradually cut back on what I was watching.
The first things I gave up watching have been violent movies and the news. I was still watching some comedy or useful shows, but in the end, along with the access to the Internet, I didn’t see the utility of TV anymore.
From the variety of junk spread on TV and the radio, I think the news are the worst.
The tone, the “end of the world” feeling, the subliminal fear and terror that is induced with every negative piece of information is one of the most poisonous things for our subconscious mind. So, I just avoid being exposed to it, in any form it might be delivered, and I feel great.
So this is my take on today’s exercise. Here’s yesterday’s in case You missed it. I am very curious how You felt during your No TV, No News day. Thank you for sharing your thoughts in the comments bellow.
With all my love,
Raluca
PS: I like this quote about TV and how it keeps us away from making real human connections.