Thanks to the recent cable digitisation deadline, my TV has gone dead. It's been 20 full days!
I decided on a whim not to switch to the digital version and forego my daily diet of stuff that the TV would normally spew out. An experiment, most of my friends & family feel won't last very long. :)
In the absence of the TV, I realise that I have loads of time on my hands once work is done with. My normal routine would mean at least 2 hrs at a stretch in front of the idiot box, with a few minutes spent in between completing chores (like gulping dinner, doing dishes etc.) Unimportant stuff... when there's a need to know what happened next in the whodunit, what wisecrack it was leading to that burst of laughter (canned though it may be).
It got me thinking, do I really need a television at home? With the advent of technology, information is available everywhere - radio, print, desktops/laptops, phones, tablets.... the list goes on.
It's early days yet, but the things I have restarted:
Do I miss anything on TV? Not really, almost everything is available via the internet either as post-telecast videos or live streaming. I pick and choose what I want to watch. Unlike earlier when the television would be droning on in the background or when I would be tempted to switch channels aimlessly, trying to find an 'interesting' programme or block out shrieking news anchors.
I wonder if these anchors have been told it increases TRP ratings... all that yelling and emphasis on every word... I mean every word. Ummm... I'm digressing...
Next step - figure out a better bandwidth for my internet connection. Keeping my fingers crossed that I don't get addicted to the computer now. There's always some vice waiting to trap poor unsuspecting souls. Sigh!
I decided on a whim not to switch to the digital version and forego my daily diet of stuff that the TV would normally spew out. An experiment, most of my friends & family feel won't last very long. :)
In the absence of the TV, I realise that I have loads of time on my hands once work is done with. My normal routine would mean at least 2 hrs at a stretch in front of the idiot box, with a few minutes spent in between completing chores (like gulping dinner, doing dishes etc.) Unimportant stuff... when there's a need to know what happened next in the whodunit, what wisecrack it was leading to that burst of laughter (canned though it may be).
It got me thinking, do I really need a television at home? With the advent of technology, information is available everywhere - radio, print, desktops/laptops, phones, tablets.... the list goes on.
It's early days yet, but the things I have restarted:
- Demolish the ever growing pile of books in the corner... I am still wondering how the stack grew so large.
- Read the 'bookmarked' articles and snippets, another ever growing pile that was always put off for later - 'when I have the time'
- Listen to music, going through my collection again. Something I had unfortunately stopped doing (except in office - helps me focus better, if that can be called an excuse :|)
- Pay attention to the 'real' stuff on Facebook and Twitter. I realise that it's not always updates of 'I just brushed my teeth'/ 'I just had coffee'/ 'I feel great/sad/angry etc etc'. There's a lot of interesting things going on, if you know where to look.
Do I miss anything on TV? Not really, almost everything is available via the internet either as post-telecast videos or live streaming. I pick and choose what I want to watch. Unlike earlier when the television would be droning on in the background or when I would be tempted to switch channels aimlessly, trying to find an 'interesting' programme or block out shrieking news anchors.
I wonder if these anchors have been told it increases TRP ratings... all that yelling and emphasis on every word... I mean every word. Ummm... I'm digressing...
Next step - figure out a better bandwidth for my internet connection. Keeping my fingers crossed that I don't get addicted to the computer now. There's always some vice waiting to trap poor unsuspecting souls. Sigh!
('Animal Crackers' courtesy: www.gocomics.com)
