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“In Beverly Hills… they don’t throw their garbage away. They make it into television shows.”

- Woody Allen

It was not as hard as I thought it would be. My wife and I had purchased a new townhouse; similar to what you would find in Brooklyn Heights, but this is Toronto. We had made the choice not to have television in our new place, having spent the better part of every evening in our basement apartment staring blankly at it. Cold turkey was how we decided to go, no weaning off the boob tube.

It has now been well over 18 months without a telly. Why is it when this comes up in conversation the recipient inevitably says, “Oh… well I don’t watch that much television, just…” as if by underestimating their television viewing habit will alter the fact they watch television. Frank Lloyd Wright defined television as “chewing gum for the eyes” and we all love a good chew now and then.

Here is a stat that scares the hell out of me. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2003, the average American spent 1,745 hours watching television! This works out to 145 hours a month, which if my math is correct is more than six full days sitting in front of the TV. Our bodies are not engineered for just lengthy inactivity. If you are going to spend 6 days of every month watching television at least stand to burn more calories.

Who says there’s never enough time? The extra time you always craved of having is as easy to obtain as turning off your TV. That simple act alone will give you ample time to do those things you have kept saying you never have time to do. Would I be writing this article if there was television in my home?

Imagine what you can do with 6 more days per month… 5 hours per day. Give yourself an additional 5 hours per day means you can:

· Get a part-time job (earn extra money).

· Give more of yourself to your career (further your career).

· Take a course, class; earn a degree, certification (further your education improve a skill, learn something new).

· Immerse yourself in a hobby.

· Read

· Exercise (take better care of your physical self)

· Meditate (take better care of your mental self)

· Cook great meals for your family and friend and enjoy their company (socialize; keep up with friends and acquaintances).

· Get a good night’s sleep (you should not watch television before going to sleep).

Who says there’s never enough time? The extra time you always craved of having is as easy to obtain as turning off your TV. That simple act alone will give you ample time to do those things you have kept saying you never have time to do. Would I be writing this article if there was television in my home?

So what have my wide and I been missing without television. The radio, Saturday newspaper, Internet provides us with our news and entertainment so staying current has not been a problem. On those occasions we need visual entertainment there’s always the movies, theatre, concerts and simply putting a DVD in the laptop on those rare occasions. Other than missing a few cooking shows today I do not miss television and its after effects. What you watch marinates in your mind

Television told me I had problems… dandruff, bad breath, gingivitis, lack of sex appeal. Hate your body, hate your clothes, hate your friends, hate you car so you can love the body, clothes, friends, car you see on television Thank God the answers to my problems could also be found on television, usually moments after being told of my new ailment. Homer Simpson, that cartoon sage of American mainstream wisdom observed, “The answers to life’s problems aren’t at the bottom of a bottle. They’re on TV.”

Television creates and then shares our collective delusions and anxieties. What better way to spread propaganda than with words and animated image? Nothing beats the telly for creating and supporting a conspiracy theory. We all love a good conspiracy theory; especially when documented with unaltered film footage. Alien autopsy, the grassy knoll, Elvis spotted pumping gas outside a 7-Eleven in a New Orleans suburb… it all must be true, we saw it on television. You know you are watching too much television if you are using fictional characters, animated ones at that, to support your argument.

Not long ago I came to realize television’s hypnotic effects were causing my stress and bruising my self-image. I was comparing myself to a superficial world created to destroy, or at the very least question, my self-esteem. Now that I am spending all my time in the real world I see I am no different that everyone around me, what a relief! Not have a rail thin body, wearing up to the moment fashion, surrounded by flawless supporting characters, was beginning to deflate the little ego I had left. It turns out television is designed and written to manipulate our emotions and it does a damn good job at it.

To get more information on how television massages your psyche check out www.turnoffyourtv.com and www.tvturnoff.org. Marshall McLuhan spent the better part of his career trying to explain television’s positive social influences; he never did make a convincing argument. The negative effects of television from causing obesity, restless sleep patterns, stress and depression are well documented.

Take the first step to gaining 5 hours a day; remove your television from you home. You will go through withdrawal symptoms like I did, but believe me I know from firsthand experience it will only last a few weeks and by not watching television you will have extra time to get over your TV addiction. Today my mind breaths easier.

I am an aspiring writer who without discrimination writes on what moves me at the moment.