Once upon a time, I was a television reviewer for a daily newspaper. I was given this gig because I’d spent several years in TV news and, presumably, knew something about the medium. I had a daily column and several large pages a week to fill as I saw fit.
Networks sent me videos to enjoy, commercial-free, in the comfort of the newsroom. (If you’ve seen a newsroom, you’ll know that’s hardly "comfort," but that’s another story.) I got to interview stars and star wannabes. I actually touched Miss Piggy. I got to write cheeky columns about beauty pageants and awards shows, and thoughtful pieces about good programming and the people who create it.
In those days, I lived and breathed TV. Now I don’t even own one. And I don’t miss it at all.
I’d love to say I’m living this way for scientific research or my PhD thesis, but my tube-less status is purely accidental. Our old Sony wasn’t worth dragging on an international move and I just haven’t bothered to buy another. I find other things to do. I read. I sing. I bake. I blog. And today I discovered a piece of information that may just keep me this way forever.
Nine years and counting
According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than four hours of television each day. Several European countries are right up there with them. That’s 28 hours a week, or two months a year. If that average person reaches 65, he or she will have spent nine years glued to the tube. That scares me, especially when you consider there’ll be about a year of drug commercials.
Given my age and life expectancy, I’ll probably regain five years by not watching television. Yowza! That’s a nice chunk of time. I could do all the things I need to do and a whole lot of the things I want to do. I could realize my dream to turn my "To Do" list into a "Ta Da!" list.
What would five extra years do for you?
You might ask, "What’s this got to do with emotionally intelligent communication?" Maybe nothing. Or maybe it’s a reminder that life provides us with just so much time to be the creative and amazing creatures we were born to be. When our focus is on the tube – even good programming – we miss the opportunity to engage with the world, with ourselves, or with the moment.
On my first day at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, my boss (a wise producer named Trina McQueen) said that what sets TV apart from other media is its ability show emotion. Twenty-five years later, while I know she was correct at the time, I don’t believe TV does that job responsibly. It uses emotion in contrived and inauthentic ways. News has become "infotainment." Scheming, squabbling and just plain ignorance pass for "reality TV." Opinion poses as truth. Leadership is judged by the quality of "sound bites." And our view of the world is framed by CNN.
As a TV writer, I used to encourage people to demand better – from the networks, sponsors, and producers. Today, I encourage you to take back your time. You’ve got more intelligent things to do with all those years.