by Jennifer Geitenbeek

Created on: November 05, 2010

In this day and age, technology is everywhere, calling to us, luring us in and trying to tell us that we can't live without it. Apart from mobile phones and computers, a television is the one thing that is capable of holding our attention for hours, and sometimes days, at a time. With a major sporting event on, or a television series marathon on for an entire weekend, it is easy to find yourself holed up on the couch for the duration, without even realising it.

When television began, or should I say that when family started sitting down and watching television together, it was something that was done for maybe an hour a day, after the evening meal. This was the time for all of the family to sit down and watch the news, or catch a movie.

Now, with programs on twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week (instead of just a few hours each night), not to mention that instead of having two or three channels to choose from, we now have literally hundreds, it can be said that unless you are well disciplined, have a strong will and have a hectic lifestyle that rarely allows you to stop, it would be rather easy to let the TV consume your life.

Think about what you could be doing, and how much you would get done if you took a couple of hours out of your television viewing each day. Is it vitally important that you watch that episode of Neighbours, or Home and Away? What is the worst that can happen if you miss it?

The key to making sure that television programs and its many colourful commercials do not take up all, or even most of your valuable time, is to priorities. Ask yourself what really is important to you. Just as you set aside time to cook and eat dinner, get your chores or housework done, you can do the same with watching television.

Another way to make sure that television does not become one of the most important things in your life is to limit the amount of time you spend watching it, turn it off unless you are actually watching something (it is amazing how many programs can draw us in just by hearing them in the background), or choose just a couple of things (be it a television series, movie or documentary) and watch them only.

Remember that television programming being what it is, somewhere at some stage the program or episode that you missed it will be on again. Also, there are so many television series and movies coming out on DVD nowadays that even if you do miss your favourite show, the wait should not be long before you can buy it on DVD and watch it at your leisure.

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