I Was a Closet Television Addict
April 8th, 2010 Filed under: Uncategorized — Movie Critic
There, I said it. I’ve finally admitted to a fault that I refused to own up to for years. I was hooked on TV. It wasn’t just evening entertainment which is arguably the best that TV networks have to offer. Nope… I started watching the tube in the morning as I prepared for work, caught a few minutes of TV time in the company conference room during my lunch hour… and watched TV almost until night turned back into day after I returned home from work.
On weekends, I became a dedicated “couch potato.” Saturdays, during the fall college football season, I planted myself on an easy chair and stayed there all day. Sundays – pro football Sundays – I was even worse. I stayed “glued to the tube” from mid-morning until well into the evening.
I know now that I had a kind of addiction, similar to one who smokes cigarettes, knows they’re harmful, but lacks the will power to stop. Interestingly, in my case, I didn’t even like many of the shows I watched. I just couldn’t stop staring… mindlessly, of course.
So… how did I break the habit? In my moments away from the TV, I started to realize that what I was doing was wrong. That realization wasn’t enough to get me to change on the spot, but it planted the thought in my mind. And that, over time, was enough.
The desire to quit being a slave to my TV set started slowly and built momentum over a period of a few weeks. I knew I had to make a change, but I wasn’t quite prepared to do it… until one evening I returned from work and decided that, on this night there would be no TV.
It was tough. It made me think about what people with drug addictions or alcohol problems or uncontrollable food cravings must endure to overcome their problems. Nevertheless, I got through that first evening… and then a second… and a third and several more long evenings, as well and before much longer I was free… no more TV addiction.
I still watch TV today, of course. But it is now on my terms. That means I watch only when I want to, when there is programming that interests me. The truth is I don’t have too much time for TV any longer. I have a new addiction… it’s called the Internet.
Author: Frank Bilotta
I help people learn about Satellite TV and compare the benefits of Dish Network as compared with Direct TV. We have details on all of the Dish Network Channel Packages as well as the Dish HD and Dish DVR receivers. We also help people decide if Satellite Internet service is right for them.
