skrapnel

From 2000 to 2007 I lived without a television.  Over the last two years, however, I’ve lived in houses that have included a TV.  In my current house, the TV is the centerpiece of the living area. It’s wall sized and massive. Suffice to say, I watch a lot of TV now.

Shows I religiously watch include True Blood, Entourage, Real Housewives, Lost, SNL and a few others. Thanks to DVR, I can watch these shows whenever, but I still watch about 8 hours of TV a week.  The story telling in these shows is good, so I don’t mind the hours lost.  What bothers me, however, is the way that TV makes you feel like you have free will and opportunity, when you really don’t.

A lot of people never fulfill their personal goals. Or for those without entrepreneurial aspirations, they never get a chance to work in a place that satisfies them. They want to make changes in their lives, but it just never seems to happen.  I have a strong feeling that TV pacifies their passions and keeps them from living their dreams.

Here’s how it works: I go home and click on Entourage. Vinnie Chase and the boys go live the Hollywood life.  I feel like I’m a part of that life.  I feel satisfied.  I know that if I push myself, I might be able to have that as my life. BUT I DON’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!

It presents opportunities and possibilities to you, but it also leaves you satisfied.  It’s the feeling of contentment coupled with the fake sense of choice that make TV so dangerous.  Instead of doing things, we leave others to do them–in a fake or highly edited world.

I think I’m gonna start switching off the TV again. It doesn’t feed my head the things I need to move forward, and it takes 8 hours of my time a week.

What are your thoughts about Television? Does it kill dreams?