Why Am I Such A Misfit? Confessions of a Television Non-Viewer
Published October 19, 2006
Hi, my name's Donnie, and I don't watch television. Just thought I'd get that off my chest. Why, you ask? It's really quite simple. I don't view television as an escape or break from reality. I view it as a colossal waste of time. This applies to everything except sports. I'll watch sports once in awhile, but not often.
Double standard, you think? No, if you want double standards, look at Washington, D.C. I'm just inconsistent. I need my fix of Cardinal baseball occasionally, so I'll tune in just to make sure the boys are all right. I consider that my civic duty here in the heart of Cardinal Nation.
How can any red-blooded American guy not like to watch television? I suppose because we didn't watch much TV when I was a kid. My folks expected us to come home from school, eat dinner, and then play outside until time to get cleaned up for bed. We were an active family and I've done my best to keep my own children away from countless hours of TV time. I believe it's far more beneficial to a child to be outside, running around and having fun, than it is to sit in front of the boob tube throwing snacks down their throat and losing the ability to speak.
I would much rather sit by the fire with my feet up, reading a good novel. No commercials. No talking suds begging me to use them to clean my bathroom. No one walking along a beach and suddenly realizing they don't feel fresh. I don't feel like explaining most of the garbage on television to my grandson that lives with me, so I limit his TV time. He watches his Spongebob Squarepants show and he's happy.
I've spent many quality hours in front of my fireplace, grandson on my lap, good book in hand, sharing it with him. He loves being read to and he's making good progress at learning to read at four years old. I always follow the words with my finger as I read. You'd be amazed how quickly kids pick up certain words and how excited they get when they recognize them before you've read them aloud.
The next time you sit down to watch the night's favorite shows on television, look around at your children. Maybe they're sitting on the floor, trying their best to read their favorite book. Take a few moments to read it to them. You'll both get more out of that than any television show.
- Why Am I Such A Misfit? Confessions of a Television Non-Viewer
- Published: October 19, 2006
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Culture
- Filed Under: Culture: Family and Relationships, Culture: Media, Culture: Society
- Writer: Donnie Marler
- Donnie Marler's BC Writer page
- Donnie Marler's personal site
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Comments on this articleComments
Hi Rob,
You're in a beautiful part of the world! Your kids are lucky.
I don't view television as evil either. I know there are many programs for children that are both enjoyable and educational.
As for myself, I believe my close involvement in my kids lives did far more for them than watching TV would have. I think too many parents use it as a babysitter or a way to avoid involvement on a personal level when they're tired or in a bad mood.
You'd love my father. He lives in a log cabin in the middle of nowhere. TV? No, he does have a radio, that's the only concession he makes to the modern world.
Most people think you're limiting their development because they've never turned their TV off, and can't imagine doing so.
I would only argue that the best of television is as good or better than every other entertainment medium, including books and film.
As for commercials, the advent of the DVR fundamentally changes the TV-viewing experience -- I very rarely am tortured with sitting through commercials these days.
striking a balance is the key. there's a certain amount of value, "social currency" maybe, in knowing what's going on in the media world. as a writer, i refer to this stuff from time to time. it would be weird to not have contact with any of it.
I agree there's quality programming available, Eric.
I just believe there is too much of an investment in time in watching tv as opposed to other entertainment in which a more personal connection is made.
The three best things I ever saw on TV when I did watch.
Roots, Shogun, and Ken Burns' Baseball.
Mark, Excellent point. Striking a balance is dead on.
I'm not advocating not staying aware of world events. The article refers to just sitting in front of a tv staring.
Since I am outside the US most of the time, I really have gotten out of the habit of watching TV, I'll watch it on occasion, and there are several great shows, but I don't feel that I have missed out on something if I miss an episode, or even an entire season. Books, on the other hands, I have to have something to read with me on the off chance that I'll catch a few minutes free time. We raised our children to not expect the TV to be on all the time, and they do plenty of activites when the TV is not on just as happily as if they were watching TV.
Good comment, SKI. Thanks for weighing in.
I gave my television to my sister when I went off to college 20 years ago and haven't looked back. Actually I did get it back and hooked it up after I graduated, but couldn't find anything on worth watching. I can think of so many other things I'd rather do with my time. I only wish I could get my wife to turn the damn thing off.
Donnie, you have all the earmarks of a well-balanced individual, as well as a great writer. Me, I'm a news, media, entertainment junkie, and the spare tire around my middle belies that fact. As a father-to-be at 52, however, the dawn of my newest son's birth is slated to invoke change from top to bottom throughout the household. The television is going on standby for the next several years!
I share your pain, John.
Thanks for the kind words, Harrison. Good luck with the new baby!! I'd like that, I think? Nah, who am I kidding, my grandkid's run me to ground. lol
I rather like TV. But then, I mostly watch PBS programs. Any commercial program I'm interested in goes on the DVR automatically so I can view it without commercials. If they devise some gizmo that prevents editing commercials I'll simply stop watching those programs.
PBS has some excellent programs that save me the trouble of pestering Great White Sharks in the wild, and such things. Vicarious thrills are sufficient.
I have 2 imps heading my way from Paris Saturday (7 year old unaccompanied international travelers! No problem! Have their own roller bags! Giggle incessantly for 5000 miles!), so in addition to several childrens books in english I'll have a couple episodes of PBS "Poobah" and "Zoom".
It's great to be alive! Don't let anyone tell you different!
If you get away from TV for awhile and come back, you'll be surprised at how silly and lurid much of it is.
Depends on what you watch. I'm lucky to live in the SF area. For example, tonight I set the DVR to record "Greys Anatomy" which is sometimes funny, and "Shark" which has James Woods to advantage, and then I have an abundance of good PBS with Charlie Rose interviewing Barack Obama, a 2 hour doc on Muhamed, a bio of Artur Rimbaud, Moyers on the two-tiered internet, a Frank Gehrey, and the BBC and PBS news. An abundance of riches. I need two DVRs at least, but I know the PBS stuff will re-play on encore.
Right now I'm watching the local PBS restaurant reviews for the area.
And I have other tasks to do tonight!
You poor wretches who find TV disappointing must live in some dreadful outback, oh, like Texas or somesuch.
LOL, I confess the tv is on tonight because my beloved Cardinals are making a valiant effort to piss away the National League pennant.
And I do NOT live in Texas, so there. Although Missouri is fairly close to a dreadful outback. My part of it anyway.
Try as they might, Donnie, they couldn't blow it.
Good grief, Matt! That was too exciting for the home team.
My grandson is still jumping up and down. He loves Pujols!! Now he's pretty fond of Molina too.
Good article. I will say that we have to be careful with those generalizations. There is some darn fine television programing and some books that aren't worth the paper they are printed upon.
Some slob who sits and watches TV all day is just about as bad as one who reads nothing but crappy romance novels.
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My wife and I made the decision years ago to not have a TV in our house. Our house is peaceful and our children are happy, healthy and progressing just fine without the Baby Einstien videos and Sesame Street, Cartoons, etc.. We're lucky to live in Rural Ontario and they love to be outdoors, running around and watching the animals. They also love it when we read to them.
Then why do people still think that we are limiting their development without the TV?? Our parents think we're nuts for not having one in the house. I don't think a TV is pure evil, I just agree with you when you say that it's a time waster.