According to a March 2011 survey by Nielsen, Americans on average watch 5.11 hours of television a day. (And here’s data on TV and kids.)
Me? I watch about 3-4 hours of television a week, all of it commercial-free Netflix DVDs that I choose carefully and watch exactly when I want. I haven’t had pay TV for 6 years.
Time Management: What I Do With Those Extra Hours
Let’s assume the typical case of an adult who primarily watches TV in the evening after work. Instead of watching the tube, here’s what I do with most of my evenings:
- Head outside and do tai chi and watch the birds, rabbits, and deer.
- Lift weights in the garage.
- Go for walks with my life partner Stephanie.
- Sit with Stephanie on the couch and talk while we rub each other’s feet, or we just sit and read.
- Have friends over for dinner.
- Go to bed earlier so I can get up earlier and get going on all the things that are truly important to me, from freelance writing to hiking.
How I Benefit by Watching So Little TV
You see it in the list above…
- I spend more time with Stephanie, so we have a deeper and more satisfying relationship.
- I spend more time outside, so I have a calmer mind.
- I spend more time exercising, so I’m healthier.
- I read more, so I learn more.
- I get more sleep, and my sleep is more restful.
- Overall, I have more time for everything, including my freelance writing and creating and marketing my ebooks.
I Do Watch Some TV…
I watch a mix of educational programing, travel shows, a bit of drama, and a lot of comedy. TV helps me learn, but it also helps me unwind and relax, and sometimes we all can use some mindless entertainment.
Some of the shows I’ve watched over the last year:
- BBC Earth series
- BBC/HBO Rome series
- Globe Trekker travel destinations
- The Office
- Weeds
- Family Guy
- West Wing
Your Take
How much time do you spend watching television? How does it affect your time management and productivity? How does it benefit you? Harm you? What do you watch?
{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve got to admit, John, I watch too much! But mostly movies! I also like educational PBS programming, nature shows, biographies, etc. I cancelled my cable subscription two years ago (no regrets) and see no reason to ever pay for channels again. I know the time spent cuddling in bed watching movies with Mary at night could (should!) be better spent working on so many other pursuits. Reading among them. Bottom line, watching TV, even movies and the “good stuff” is highly addictive, passive entertainment and easier to indulge in than active, involved, creative, emotional engagement. Got to work on that! Thanks for lighting the fire under our collective asses!
Tom McGuire recently posted…TILDEN REGIONAL PARK- A Humble Little Stream Turns into a Raging Torrent- Replete with Frothing White Water Cascades and Tremendous Waterfalls!
Tom, in my opinion what you watch is high-quality. You have to be the one who determines how much is too much in relation to the goals you have for your life.
You were smart to get rid of cable. With 100, 200 or more channels, it’s all too easy to turn on the television “for just a few minutes” and then get sucked into something for an hour or more.
John Soares recently posted…How to Hold Highly Effective Meetings
Twitter: @annewayman
lol, I threw out my tv – actually twice, first when the kids were little and I couldn’t afford to fix it – after two weeks of hellish withdrawal we started to talk and play games together… didn’t get the tv fixed until they were almost graduated from high school.
Next was when I realized how much I watched it… way too much.
I’m thinking of dumping netflix even… haven’t decided. But I don’t find much I want to see there.
Was at a hotel recently – madly started flipping through channels… turned it off with a new understanding of why I don’t have a tv.
I read and garden… stuff like that.
Good for you Anne! I bet your kids were much better off for having all those years away from the tube. When I was a kid growing up in rural Anderson, California, we only got three stations, and none were very clear. I watched a bit, but I spent most of my time reading and exploring outside.
John Soares recently posted…Edit Old Blog Posts to Boost Search Engine Optimization and Traffic
Out here in the sticks, Cory and I have ONE channel which comes in, and sadly, it is the FOX-affiliate (we don’t have cable or DirectTV and have dial-up internet so DL’ing episodes off the net is nix, as well). He actually smashed a telly a few years back…
We do SO many other things that are SO much bettre than watching telly –
We garden; I joke to people that I live in a park but that is not too far from the truth. I am constantly blown away by the things that Nature does…
We raise bees; they have provided me with endless HOURS of fascination watching them and caring for them (pics soon!)…
We read; yes, books… paper and ink… We could start a library here…
We TALK! We actually sit around and talk about the world and what’s going on and what we want to do…
We make love! Nothing more need be said here…
Who needs telly? Pshaw…
It sounds like you and Cory have a beautiful life — connected to nature, connected to each other, slower with more time to really live.
I also like to just observe nature, like you do with the bees. Just this morning I sat beside Lake Shastina and watched the mallards, Canada geese, cormorants and all the other birds do their thing. Nothing electronic can compare with that.
John Soares recently posted…Selling E-Books with E-Junkie- My Experience
Twitter: @doolin
You’re smart to watch at least some TV, even on DVD.
I went without TV from about 1979 to around 2005.
In retrospect, that was a mistake. I missed a huge amount of pop culture which most people take for granted. This makes it harder to connect with people where they’re at, because I have no cultural references for where they are at.
After 2005, it helped when I dated a woman who watched at least some TV, and I’ve rented DVDs to make up more of the lack.
Doing it over, I’d try to see at least one movie per month, and follow one popular TV show per season. Like or not, I live in this society, it behooves me to pay attention to what’s going on around me.
On the sports side, I just try and remember who wins the Super Bowl and who wins the World Series, and that seems to be enough!
Dave Doolin recently posted…The Uninspired- Unencouraged and Unmotivated Guide to Unblogging
Dave, I’ve also gone large chunks of my life without access to the popular culture of both television and music. From about 1980 onward I have little idea of what happened in popular music, and from the little I’ve heard, I don’t feel I missed much.
Stephanie and I do watch some current television shows, with Weeds and The Office being the prime examples. But there’s so much on television that there’s no way I could ever keep up with it, even with what most people watch, like American Idol.
John Soares recently posted…Top 10 Tips For a Successful Teleseminar-Podcast Interview
Twitter: @doolin
There’s popular music… then there is everything else which isn’t played on the radio. Leaving out the mid-80s, the amount of incredibly good music out there is staggering beyond belief.
These days I mostly listen to various flavors of electronica, which varies as widely through its genres as any other kind of music.
Dave, you are absolutely right. There’s been a lot of great music created in the last three decades; I just rarely hear anything that’s pop music that suits my tastes.
I mostly listen to Bossa Nova, flamenco, jazz, and select rock bands from 1960s and 1970s.
John Soares recently posted…How to Minimize Eye-Strain from Computer Use
Love this Groucho Marx quote:
“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.”
John Soares recently posted…Just Released — The Second Edition of My Writing College Textbook Supplements E-Book
I agree with Dave Doolin. It behooves one to be conscious of current culture, though I don’t follow any particular TV series (we watch DVDs of Midsomer Murders [excellent!] and important shows such as RuPaul’s Drag Race).
In addition to gardening (a lot right now!), being in nature every day, being physically active daily, reading books, and discussing things with my wife over martinis, I like to curl up with her on the couch and relax a bit by massaging her feet and watching something soothing on the TV, like a nature show, football game, or The Good The Bad & The Ugly….
The real trick is to not spend too much time in front of an electronic medium such as a TV, or dare I say it, computer screen! It’s the positive ionization coming from the machine that is bad for your health, especially when you are only two feet away.
Well, I have to go. The garden calls.
Eric, I’ve been making good progress toward decreasing the time I spend in front of all screens, especially my computer. I recently read the excellent book The Shallows which details the scientific studies that show how prolonged computer use inhibits brain function.
You planting tomaters this year?
John Soares recently posted…How This Freelance Writer Does His Taxes
Yes, John, we’ll be planting tomatoes; but it’s a bit early for that here in Oregon. The food part of our garden is herbal (parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme–literally), tomatoes, chives, blueberries, strawberries, apples, and blackberries (grow on their own!), lavender, and then lots of rhodies, azaleas, dogwoods, daphne, honeysuckle, jasmine, heather, and dozens of various flowers, and then the native manzanita, oaks, maples, mountain mahogony, madrone, Oregon grape, and our specialty–ponderosa pines. As you know, we steward a ponderosa grove, which is our pride and joy. My latest garden chores have involved clearing vingka from the paths, spreading chips and mulch, putting in two steps on the steep part of the garden. Weeding is a constant. We’ll be planting some more heather and away we go.
You can see why we rest up on the couch and watch a little TV. But not tonight, as we have 3 hours of jujitsu. I gotta go.
I had big gardens when I lived in Chico, California in the mid-1990s, so I remember well the work and the joys of gardening.
I’ll bet there’s a lot in bloom there, but I’ll see for myself very soon.
Have fun at jujitsu. Do some nage for me. (Nage = throws in Japanese)
John Soares recently posted…Top 10 Tips For a Successful Teleseminar-Podcast Interview
Twitter: @kikolani
My TV time is pretty limited. I watch shows online whenever I am absolutely out of energy to do anything else – sometimes it’s a nice mental break. But really, the only time I plop down in front of the tube is when there is live tennis on – grand slams in particular. The way I see it, everything comes out on DVD, and you can always catch up when you’re sick and can’t do anything else.
As far as benefits, since I have cut down on TV I get a lot more done online. Not just work stuff, but it’s given me time to develop my photography site as an online hobby without taking time away from my main site.
Kristi Hines recently posted…New Guest Post Policy – Join the Discussion or No Link
Kristi, Stephanie and I also take full advantage of nearly all shows eventually being on Netflix. We’re a season and a half behind on The Office, but we’re totally OK with that.
And the extra time away from TV can make a huge difference in whatever areas where we decide to apply that time.
Regarding your photography, I really like what you’ve been doing lately with your camera. You’ve taken some very good shots.
John Soares recently posted…Edit Old Blog Posts to Boost Search Engine Optimization and Traffic
Twitter: @1to1Discovery
We don’t have cable anymore. Netflix is enough for us. Mostly, we watch while we ride the exercise bike. Kind of a two for one deal. Get healthier. Watch some shows. I feel like it keeps me pop culture current (agreed with Dave Doolin there), but I’m doing something good for me at the same time.
Of course, now that the weather is so nice, the Netflix watching is down as we do more walking for exercise. I’m sure stuff will be waiting for us when it gets cold again.
Juli Monroe recently posted…Using LinkedIn Groups
What I like most about Netflix is watching exactly what I want to watch when I want to watch it, with no commercials, plus the ability to just stop it and come back later to continue.
I also watch far less TV during the warmer months. I’d much rather be outside.
John Soares recently posted…Over 2500 Listeners to My Recent Podcast
Twitter: @writermchugh
Whenever I check into a ho- or motel, I check out the 50+ tube channels available, and marvel at the intellectual wasteland revealed. Then I click it off, turn on my laptop and/or open a book and get busy. At home, the sched is much the same, except that I CAN’T turn on the TV, as it is an old analog model, and only responds to the DVD player… usually loaded with something from NetFlix. Current DVD: Jimi Hendrix at the Monterey Pop.
Jimi Hendrix. Old school, and very cool.
Stephanie and I did pop for a new high-def flat screen TV a couple of years ago, and recently a Blue-Ray DVD player. For us the expense and extra wear on the environment are worth it: the picture is so sharp and beautiful, perfect for watching BBC Earth.
John Soares recently posted…Selling E-Books with E-Junkie- My Experience
Twitter: @delenasilverfox
I’m with you, John. It’s all about Netflix for us. I haven’t watched television in so many years, I stopped counting.
And when I got pregnant with Little Owl, we decided that we’d stick with the no television thing and just buy dvd’s that we didn’t object if she watched when she got a little older. So we’ve been slowly collecting the older Sesame Street (pre-Elmo years), and a bunch of the fantastic stuff on PBS and NOVA.
Really, it’s all the stuff I grew up with anyway. It works. On those evenings that we can relax together, the boyfriend and I enjoy series like Babylon 5, Star Trek: TNG, Harry Potter, or we plug in the XBox 360 and he plays a game while I watch. It’s actually a great interactive game and stimulating conversation.
Delena
Delena Silverfox recently posted…Super Green Hosting Coupon Codes
Overall I’ve found the lowest prices on DVDs on Amazon, and some of the programs you mention may occasionally pop up at thrift stores and garage sales.
I used to be a big Star Trek fan, especially The Next Generation, but also Deep Space Nine.
John Soares recently posted…How to Hold Highly Effective Meetings
Twitter: @theboldlife.com
Hi John,
I came over from A-List. I love the looks of your blog. The header really stands out. TV? I could completely do without it. However hubs (married 39 years) loves TV. Loves it! Because I want him to hike and walk with me I watch about 6 hrs a week with him. Love American Idol.
Tess, thanks for stopping by, and thanks also for your compliments on the web design. I really give all the credit to my web designer. I gave him a few basic guidelines, but he totally ran with it from there.
You bring up a good point about TV watching. Often our spouse/significant other wants to watch more than we do. It’s important to discuss it and decide what to watch together and the acceptability of one partner doing something else while the other watches.
John Soares recently posted…Top 10 Tips For a Successful Teleseminar-Podcast Interview
Twitter: @BloggersMarket
Hi John, how goes it ?
I guess I’ve gotten into a bad habit of watching TV 24/7, yeah, you read that write! Of course I don’t actually watch, but rather listen. I decided when committing to the Internet thing that I would stay with it as long as I was awake and only break for walks and sleep; I eat at my desk. I have to have some noise in the background. Not long ago, I lost the signal to the DirecTV and I just could not handle the simplest of tasks. I guess I’ll be rich one day though. Think of it ……. all that money, I bet I won’t live another 18 months. I think my attitude would improve somewhat if I had a break-thru.
Jeffrey, it sounds you like work too hard. I suggest more exercise and more time in general away from the computer and all electronic input.
I know some people have the TV on for background, but to what extent does it distract you when you are trying to get work done?
John Soares recently posted…House-Sitting and the Location-Independent Freelance Lifestyle
Ugh, when I have to admit that loss of popculture is a terrible reason to waste your time watching TV, IMO. Just because everyone else chooses to waste their time and brainspace doesn’t mean it’s a good reason for me to do the same. I may not know who is becoming “big” on whatever singing/dancing reality show is “in” today…but then, I’m also not going to generally be hanging around people who find that their driving force of conversation, either. I’m not saying all of my conversations with my friends are high-and-mighty intellectual, and in fact I’ll admit I spend too much time at the other end of the spectrum, gaming, but I’m trying to cut that back as well. Nor do I totally abstain – but I have Tivo, so I watch what I want, when I want, (the whole two shows) and skip the commercials.
Sorry, but the whole “must be up on pop culture to survive in the world” argument lacks validity to me.
Totally agree with you Nola.
And Tivo is a smart way to go. Way back in the day I used to tape my favorite shows (The Simpsons, for example) and then watch when I wanted, with fast forward on all the commercials.
John Soares recently posted…House-Sitting and the Location-Independent Freelance Lifestyle
Twitter: @billykirsch
I only watch TV when I’m worn out and need to force myself to disconnect, at times when I’ve already worked out physically etc. Then, I gravitate toward non-challenging networks like HGTV or maybe an old movie. I do know from obeserving family members that turning it on and sitting down will suck you in, often for more than you’ve planned on.
Billy Kirsch recently posted…Team Building- Injustice and Superheroes
I also occasionally use TV as a way to get out of my thinking/analytical brain and just unwind. I am careful what I watch near bedtime though; sometimes it will affect my dreams.
John Soares recently posted…Freelance Writer’s Guide to Successful Interviews
I’ve been anti-TV for many years, giving up on it when “Married… With Children” became popular.
I always say, “You can’t think of the myriad of things you need to do if your eyes are glued to the television.”
Too often, I have seen friends and family members idling away the hours in front of that electronic mess, only to find later that their to-do list has grown silently in the background.
I do catch a bit of TV as a side effect of someone else watching it near me, and, oddly enough, the only thing I like about it is the quirkier commercials.
Meow, Meow, Meow, Meow, etc.
Yeah. And here I sit blabbing on a blog!
I better go do some writing.
Steeny Lou recently posted…Upcoming Blog Posts
I’m very careful in what I watch on television. I only watch a couple of hours a week, and then only shows that either educate me or make me laugh.
John Soares recently posted…How the 80-20 Rule Affects Freelance Writers
That sounds like wise watching habits.
The few times I watch it, sometimes in a hotel, humor is a must. Being Canadian, I’m partial to Red Green.
Steeny Lou recently posted…The Risk Of Friendship
Twitter: @zoeyclark
I excuse my TV habits due to the fact that I also run an entertainment blog where I cover TV shows-it is the second focus of the blog (the first being movies.) And even though entertainment is a very big niche, and very hard to monetize, I just love it too much to quit. It serves as therapy too. Then there is also the fiction-inspiration effect as I also write fiction I hope to publish someday. It might decrease my productivity a little in some areas, but it increases it in others.
Pinar Tarhan recently posted…Paying to Guest Post vs. Getting Paid for Your Guest Posts
{ 4 trackbacks }