Television: Beware Recovering Addict Ahead

When my twin sister I are were growing up in Gig Harbor, Washington, we didn’t live in a neighborhood and there were no other kids to play with. We had television. My parents decided we were watching too much and decided to put a lock on the door. Damn! We tried just about everything to jimmy that lock.

In our family, TV has always been our primary form of entertainment and relaxation. We had cable with HBO and the Disney Channel before having 99 channels was popular. Our TV room was essentially the dining room as well. And if we could get away with it, where my sister and I did our homework. And you did not even attempt to try to communicate with my mom on Sunday from 8-9 p.m. when Murder She Wrote was on. And like so many other families, we would spend 15 minutes looking for the remote instead of walking the 8 feet to turn the TV channel ourselves.

Now, my husband and I, with all 8 and ½ channels from which to choose between, chose to pay for Netflix instead of cable. We don’t want to become TV addicts. The book rightly points out that we “hate ourselves while we watch it” (p.185). Why? If this is a mirror of our culture, why do I often feel like I just wasted hours of my life watching TV. Commercials for one. What a waste. Though I love to see the connection of who TV execs think are watching a show and what is being advertised. Have you ever noticed how many pharmaceutical ads there are while watching Jeopardy?

I think TV producers are trying to make the a closer connection to the viewer. With all the reality shows, you too could be here. And then, who knows what could be next, maybe you could meet your celebrity hero or walk the red carpet yourself.