April 29, 2019 • 5 mins
How to enjoy TV without it taking over your life.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning, This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is about how to watch TV wisely. Even
with the rise of the Internet and social media, people
still watch a lot of TV. According to the Bureau
(00:25):
of Labor Statistics American Time Youth Survey, the average American
logs two point seven seven hours of TV per day
as a primary activity. That's just under twenty hours a week,
or the equivalent of a part time job. To be sure,
this figure includes teenagers and retirees, but even the people
we might think of as busiest, people who have jobs
(00:47):
and kids at home, managed to average almost two hours
per day. I always think of these numbers when I
hear people talk about the crazy buzziness of modern society.
It seems at least some of us have time to
kick up our feet, and honestly, that's fine. I am
not going to start your morning with a lecture on
the evils of television or Netflix or any other such service.
(01:10):
There are tons of amazing shows on these days. I'm
thrilled to see how many organizations are putting money into
good writing and great plots Instead. I want to talk
about how you, as a busy person, can incorporate TV
wisely into your life. I want to talk about how
you can enjoy TV it also have time for the
other amazing things you want to spend your time doing.
(01:33):
The first step be choosy. The reason TV fills the
bulk of people's leisure time is that it's so easy.
You don't need to dress up, you don't need to
work with other people's schedules. But it doesn't have to
be automatic. In other words, don't watch TV just because
(01:53):
it's there. Think about which shows most spark joy. To
borrow a phrase from Marie Condo, one way to winner
this down is to imagine that you needed to pay,
say fifteen dollars an hour to watch TV, or whatever
number feels doable but noticeable to you, something like buying
a movie ticket. What would clear that bar? What would
(02:15):
give you that much pleasure? A favorite team's game against
a close rival, sure, but maybe not too random teams
that you don't care about. When you have your list,
then think through your week. When would you like to
watch these programs? When would work best with your life.
I'm old enough to remember when people had no choice
(02:36):
in these matters, and I had to wait all year
to watch The Wizard of Oz on TV as a kid,
but now we do have near total time freedom. Actually
putting planned TV time on your calendar allows you to
look forward to it and savor that anticipation. Knowing you've
got your favorite show saved up for Thursday night can
(02:57):
help you get through a challenging day at work. Finally,
whyse TV watchers recognize this? Everything about TV is designed
to keep you watching. That's why there are cliffhangers at
the end of the show. That's why there are seguys
into the next show. Once the TV or Netflix goes on,
it's hard to turn it off. That's why you wind
(03:18):
up falling asleep on the sofa or yanking yourself away
long after you should. If there's one thing I've learned
over the years, it's that people don't magically develop more willpower.
So here's a better idea. If you have any other
leisure activity you'd like to do other than watch TV,
do that first. If you like to read after your
(03:41):
kids go to bed, read for an hour and then
turn on the TV. If you like to do puzzles
or a hobby like woodworking or crafts. Do that before
reaching for the remote. That way, you'll get to do
your hobby and watch TV. If you watch TV first,
you'll probably decide that hauling out your paints sounds like
a lot of bother. You might also choose some nights
(04:04):
not to turn on the TV. You and your partner
could choose one night a week to have a drink
together or make a special dessert. I'm always fascinated by
how many couples claim they are too tired for a
couple time in its various manifestations. If you don't turn
the TV on some nights, you might have hours to
spend together. What you do at that time is up
(04:26):
to you. I'd love to hear the rules you make
for yourself when it comes to TV or Netflix or
other services like that. As always, you can email me
at Before Breakfast Podcast at i heeart media dot com.
In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening and
here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,
(04:50):
I'd love to hear from you. You can send me
your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with
me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod.
That's b E. The number four then Breakfast p o D.
You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast
podcast at i heeart media dot com that before Breakfast
(05:12):
is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much,
I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is
a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from
my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.
Good Morning, This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.
Today's tip is about how to watch TV wisely. Even
with the rise of the Internet and social media, people
still watch a lot of TV. According to the Bureau
(00:25):
of Labor Statistics American Time Youth Survey, the average American
logs two point seven seven hours of TV per day
as a primary activity. That's just under twenty hours a week,
or the equivalent of a part time job. To be sure,
this figure includes teenagers and retirees, but even the people
we might think of as busiest, people who have jobs
(00:47):
and kids at home, managed to average almost two hours
per day. I always think of these numbers when I
hear people talk about the crazy buzziness of modern society.
It seems at least some of us have time to
kick up our feet, and honestly, that's fine. I am
not going to start your morning with a lecture on
the evils of television or Netflix or any other such service.
(01:10):
There are tons of amazing shows on these days. I'm
thrilled to see how many organizations are putting money into
good writing and great plots Instead. I want to talk
about how you, as a busy person, can incorporate TV
wisely into your life. I want to talk about how
you can enjoy TV it also have time for the
other amazing things you want to spend your time doing.
(01:33):
The first step be choosy. The reason TV fills the
bulk of people's leisure time is that it's so easy.
You don't need to dress up, you don't need to
work with other people's schedules. But it doesn't have to
be automatic. In other words, don't watch TV just because
(01:53):
it's there. Think about which shows most spark joy. To
borrow a phrase from Marie Condo, one way to winner
this down is to imagine that you needed to pay,
say fifteen dollars an hour to watch TV, or whatever
number feels doable but noticeable to you, something like buying
a movie ticket. What would clear that bar? What would
(02:15):
give you that much pleasure? A favorite team's game against
a close rival, sure, but maybe not too random teams
that you don't care about. When you have your list,
then think through your week. When would you like to
watch these programs? When would work best with your life.
I'm old enough to remember when people had no choice
(02:36):
in these matters, and I had to wait all year
to watch The Wizard of Oz on TV as a kid,
but now we do have near total time freedom. Actually
putting planned TV time on your calendar allows you to
look forward to it and savor that anticipation. Knowing you've
got your favorite show saved up for Thursday night can
(02:57):
help you get through a challenging day at work. Finally,
whyse TV watchers recognize this? Everything about TV is designed
to keep you watching. That's why there are cliffhangers at
the end of the show. That's why there are seguys
into the next show. Once the TV or Netflix goes on,
it's hard to turn it off. That's why you wind
(03:18):
up falling asleep on the sofa or yanking yourself away
long after you should. If there's one thing I've learned
over the years, it's that people don't magically develop more willpower.
So here's a better idea. If you have any other
leisure activity you'd like to do other than watch TV,
do that first. If you like to read after your
(03:41):
kids go to bed, read for an hour and then
turn on the TV. If you like to do puzzles
or a hobby like woodworking or crafts. Do that before
reaching for the remote. That way, you'll get to do
your hobby and watch TV. If you watch TV first,
you'll probably decide that hauling out your paints sounds like
a lot of bother. You might also choose some nights
(04:04):
not to turn on the TV. You and your partner
could choose one night a week to have a drink
together or make a special dessert. I'm always fascinated by
how many couples claim they are too tired for a
couple time in its various manifestations. If you don't turn
the TV on some nights, you might have hours to
spend together. What you do at that time is up
(04:26):
to you. I'd love to hear the rules you make
for yourself when it comes to TV or Netflix or
other services like that. As always, you can email me
at Before Breakfast Podcast at i heeart media dot com.
In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for listening and
here's to making the most of our time. Hey, everybody,
(04:50):
I'd love to hear from you. You can send me
your tips, your questions, or anything else. Just connect with
me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod.
That's b E. The number four then Breakfast p o D.
You can also shoot me an email at Before Breakfast
podcast at i heeart media dot com that before Breakfast
(05:12):
is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks so much,
I look forward to staying in touch. Before Breakfast is
a production of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from
my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Before Breakfast News
Host
Laura Vanderkam
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