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Does TV Cancel Out Personal Development?

by ryanbiddulph
15 replies
Hello All,

I was thinking about how many hours I wasted in front of the TV earlier in life and how much of a happier, successful person I am without having a TV in my home for the past 5 years.

My family couldn't understand it in the beginning, my friends thought I was nuts but as is usually the case over time they've understood the method to my madness.

TV is not a good or bad thing but I feel that the majority of shows are not conducive to successful thinking. Except for a few educational shows most programs are negative or diversions for people who want to escape the reality of their lives.

How many hours of TV do you watch per week? What type of influence does it have on your mindset?
#cancel #development #personal
  • Profile picture of the author daj
    I spend maybe 2-3 hours a week watching TV. Usually catching the weather or watching a show to pass the time. I think people waste more time online these days on forums, twitter, facebook, playing some interactive game, etc.

    I think wifi connections cause the brain to become scrambled like an egg. It's hard to focus these days on anything it seems, and I eat a healthy diet, workout, etc.. but everytime I get on the computer it seems like I never get as much done as I should be able to considering the amount of hours I spend each day on this machine.

    There's always another news story to read, a facebook comment to respond to, a new youtube video to check out. I guess you just have to train yourself to shut out those things, and focus on your work or whatever it is you want/need to get done.
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    • Profile picture of the author thetruth23
      Too much of anything can poison your mind, and tv in particular can be so full of crap that watching too much of it probably isn't good for you.

      That being said I love watching movies, I think a lot can be learned from them. And documentaries and reports, depending on the topic, can sometimes be interesting.

      I still have two or three shows on tv that I consider must-watch (actually only two now as one of the shows ended this year...it happened to be the best one too)

      But my overall viewing has gone down a zillion percent over the last 10 years and my productivity has shot up as a result of that.

      That being said, there's probably more crap online than on tv.

      You have to be disciplined to control all of it.

      Originally Posted by daj View Post


      There's always another news story to read, a facebook comment to respond to, a new youtube video to check out. I guess you just have to train yourself to shut out those things, and focus on your work or whatever it is you want/need to get done.
      Sounds like you know what you should be doing about that already.

      Maybe a change in mindset would help you...

      Because there isn't always another story to read, there isn't always another facebook comment to respond to, and there isn't always another youtube video to check out.

      You make it so. And you don't have to.

      All that can wait after you've done what you've needed to do. =)
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  • Profile picture of the author silverwaterfall
    I think it depends on the shows you are watching and how much time you spend watching them. A little time watching "fluff" shows isn't going to hurt and provides entertainment. There are also some very inspiring and educational shows that can be helpful and encouraging.
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    • Profile picture of the author RealExpert
      It's a proven fact that TV kills brains cells. After repeated exposure to TV programming, your brain will shrink to the size of a peanut ...hehehe ;-)

      Yeah, I wish I could get rid of my TV..Can't live without Curious George or else will have to hire a full time nanny!
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanbiddulph
    Yep, no kids here yet. I'm sure my TV situation changes with some children in the fold
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  • Profile picture of the author Gubaru
    I sometimes wonder if man didn't invent TV, would we be even more creative as a society? Think of what we could accomplish if we didn't have the TV as a distraction.
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    • Profile picture of the author Joe Mobley
      Perry Marshall calls it the opiate of the masses.

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      • Profile picture of the author Goldenboy
        It does contribute a lot on what has happened to the society at present, TV are great influences to the people as it is the primary source of information and events. And especially, it is one of the sources of propaganda messages to the public and can delay the personal development of people since they would rely on what the TV will be providing them information. People nowadays are more concern on what the society could be in terms of fashion, fads or anything that is popular and will automatically include them on what are the newest trends in the society. It results that the inner personal development of a person are no longer needed since they will always depends on what can be seen in TV.
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  • Profile picture of the author magnates
    Originally Posted by ryanbiddulph View Post

    Hello All,

    I was thinking about how many hours I wasted in front of the TV earlier in life and how much of a happier, successful person I am without having a TV in my home for the past 5 years.

    My family couldn't understand it in the beginning, my friends thought I was nuts but as is usually the case over time they've understood the method to my madness.

    TV is not a good or bad thing but I feel that the majority of shows are not conducive to successful thinking. Except for a few educational shows most programs are negative or diversions for people who want to escape the reality of their lives.

    How many hours of TV do you watch per week? What type of influence does it have on your mindset?
    I think TV rarely adds to your life other than entertainment . Nothing wrong with entertainment but if all you do is sit and watch and absorb information everyday, it becomes a habit and it is harder to act

    I rarely watch TV . Just sports once a while . I think you have to decide not to let the TV overload you with information so it does n't stop you from acting when it matters
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    About the only thing I like watching on tv/internet is documentaries & music related.
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    • Profile picture of the author mojojuju
      How can you tell if a person doesn't own a TV?

      A: He'll tell you!
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      :)

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    • Profile picture of the author try_hard_samurai
      Originally Posted by yukon View Post

      About the only thing I like watching on tv/internet is documentaries & music related.
      Same here, docs and music is mostly what I watch.

      Although I have a weak spot for shows like the Tudors and the Borgias.
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  • Profile picture of the author Alfredo Carrion
    Some people do like that though - each to their own. I once met a rich and successful person who had a TV in their living room but they only watched it for personal development related films because they only wanted to fill their mind with positivity and learning - not negativity like bad news, crime, etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author storge
    I believe the medium is not that important but program selection is more essential.However its true that people can get addicted to continuous TV shows or playing computer games without a real purpose
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  • Profile picture of the author tk226
    Great post, earlier I wasted so much time in watching TV for news, movies, programs and sports. Well, once I understood the importance of Time -- Television found no place in my schedule.
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