How do you feel about the TV use in your household?
Perhaps you have simply gotten used to the amount of time screens dominate your life. Or perhaps you are wondering if all this time watching TV is really what you want for yourself and you family? If this is you, then read on.
The negative effects of TV watching
The average person in the US spends 3 hours a day watching TV. However we look at it, that is a huge time commitment.
1. Wasting time
Watching TV takes up precious hours that could be used for something more meaningful to us. The number of hours that we watch TV easily creeps up, often without us noticing.
TV watching is a habit that many of us have and yet rarely count the cost of.
With no TV in our lives our time opens up again and we have the space for exercise, hobbies and time to connect with the people that matter most to us.
2. Damage to our health
As well as the time lost, watching TV is usually a sedentary activity.
It’s a time when we zone out and lay back but when are doing this for several hours across the day, this can have a big impact on our health.
Without TV in our lives we have the time to exercise and we are much more likely to be up and moving in our free time.
3. TV affects our worldview
It is also worth considering how TV watching affects your worldview.
Is constant access to round the clock news serving you? Are the drama filled shows you consume colouring the way you see the world?
TV also comes with advertising. This can drive a sense in us that we are both not enough and do not have enough.
While we hardly notice it, TV can undermine our sense of contentment in our lives and affect how we view the world.
Cutting TV from your Life
Perhaps you want to make a shift away from TV, cutting it down or even eliminating it all together. This might be straightforward if we just have ourselves to consider but how can we get the whole family on board?
1. Go gradually
Completely cutting TV might be too much at once for the whole family, particularly for children. Try reducing the number of hours that the family is watching TV gradually over time.
2. Substitute TV time for fun activities
At the start, reducing TV time might take a little more work from you. By replacing TV time with fun activities, it will make the process much more appealing. Think of the things you family most enjoy outside of watching TV and work from there.
3. Get outside
One of the best ways to reduce TV time is simply not to be near one! Try going for a walk or a mini adventure when everyone gets home for the day. A backyard campfire or going out to a local beauty spot will be much more stimulating than an evening in front of the TV.
TV watching can easily take up hours of our lives each week. It limits the time we have in life for what matter most to us. It can also make us less active and even negatively affect how we feel about life.
Cutting any habit isn’t easy but by taking it slow and replacing TV time with more meaningful activities the whole family can be on a path to a fuller, happier life – without TV. Don’t forget to read other articles on how to live minimalistic and get rid of bad habits.
