How On-Demand TV Shows Hijacked My Life
Television has been in the past and still remains one of the best ways to get your mind off things. If you are not in the mood to go out with friends for the second evening in a row, you can always fall back and watch a movie. It is like a friend when you need one. Personally, I never enjoyed watching films in a theatre. Sitting amidst hundred strangers, instead of waiting for a ghost to jump off the closet, you are focusing on who is whispering loud sweet nothings behind you and when the noisy kid will go to sleep. I like to watch my films the way I want and whenever I want. What a blessing On-Demand TV viewing is. Or is it?
Fundamentally, there is nothing wrong with this concept. The problem begins when the mind and the body gets too comfortable with it. Now the only way I’ll go out for a movie is if someone drags me or emotionally blackmails me. It is not a convenience anymore, it is an addiction. Movies are fine as they don’t take up more than 2 or max 3 hours if it’s a Bollywood film. It’s these long running TV series that should take the blame. It all starts with a lunch. Initially you want something to watch as you savour the afternoon meal. But by the end of the day, you have watched an entire season of 22 episodes.
It is in times like these that I miss the good old cable, where I would only watch a few carefully selected channels. I made it a point to watch TV for not more than 1 hour at a time and used to mock other couch potatoes around. There is so much you can do instead of watching TV all day. You can go out, pursue a hobby, read or learn a new recipe, take dance lessons or at least save your back and eyes from the ill-effects of hours of TV viewing. More than anything else, this addiction has cut me off from an active social life, which is much more desirable and real than TV fiction.
Television is no evil and neither am I going to stop watching it altogether. I love the fact that I can view my favourite shows anytime I am feeling low. But that’s what its going to be, an entertainer. I will not allow TV or internet to alter my life and my ways. The fun of hanging out with friends, getting ready, going out for a film with my spouse and interacting with people, is something I am really looking forward to.
