Lack of TV, Excess of Books

Growing up in my family, the television was rarely on. We had one, but unlike everyone I knew, no channels. Despite occasional resentment or embarrassment at my family’s lack of this basic medium, I have come to support their decision. With few exceptions, I see little value in television, but that doesn’t mean I don’t find myself watching it sometimes. Trips to Grandma’s always included the chance to get some time with cable. Though I enjoyed the opportunity to watch TV, there was always a sense of relief to get home and away from its grasp.

I’ve always liked to watch a good movie or show, but I find commercials to be extremely annoying. I sometimes find myself watching the stupid ads, drawn to the screen by a force that seems unavoidable. The stupidity of the commercials that I find myself watching also works to remind me that whatever show I might be watching isn’t worth much either. I remember, however, sometimes feeling out of the loop at school. Kids would quote lines from last night’s show, often a program I had never even seen.

On a quite possibly related note, I’ve always enjoyed reading. I remember one summer in elementary school trying to out-read all the other summer reading participants. I can’t really grasp how someone can make such a sweeping statement, that they “don’t like to read”. On the other hand, I may be a hypocrite for generally saying that I don’t like television. Though you can watch a movie made about a book, reading the books always seems like time better spent. Reading a book is somehow less passive, more involved.

I give books credit for helping me with developing the ability to focus well and give me a huge advantage in school. While many kids get slowed down by their lack of reading skills, my reading experience made school easy. Lack of TV was also a substantial benefit to my education. No shows to watch after a busy day meant there was still time for homework to get done or a chapter to be read. By high school, the lack of television calling me to sit and watch became something I started to appreciate.

I think it’s also important to address my most recent encounters with TV. At college, my roommate has a TV in our room. I find it to be a distraction, but I’m learning how to avoid the draw of the screen. Most of the time if the TV’s on, I just have to go somewhere quiet to get anything accomplished. The TV seems like a good way to relax once in a while, but more often it seems to just waste my time. Usually, there’s something else I’d rather being doing than staring at a screen.